


The Keychain (UNDER REVISION)

by Marjorie_Franklin



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Romance, Spoilers - Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2018-02-18 06:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2338688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marjorie_Franklin/pseuds/Marjorie_Franklin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Aqua was able to take Ven back to Master Eraqus? Xehanort would get nowhere without him, and this simple action set a new future into motion. Hoping to change the course of fate, Master Eraqus informs Terra and Aqua that they are connected by a mysterious bond called a Keychain. Will they accept this powerful link and alter destiny or will their fate truly be inevitable?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a what-if scenario of what could have happened if Aqua had actually taken Ven back to Master Eraqus after the trio's brief reunion in Radiant Garden instead of merely telling him to go home and proceeding to chase after Terra like she did in Birth by Sleep. It is set three years after Aqua returned to The Land of Departure with Ventus and is only SEMI-AU. I have only altered the events that occur AFTER the first visit to Radiant Garden and even with those alterations, there will be lots of similarities between the actual storyline and my what-if universe. Enjoy!

_"Listen to me, Ven… We need to get you home—"_

" _It's okay, Aqua! Trust me, that guy in the mask is history. He'll never badmouth Terra again," Ventus explained coolly and confidently._

" _You saw the boy in the mask?" Terra took hold of Ven's shoulder, gripping it so tightly and with so much force that he reeled backwards._

_Aqua noticed Terra's fierceness, his aggression, his savage obsession that lingered between his words and manifested through his actions. She wanted to confront it, she_ **needed** _to confront it, but in that moment, she was at a loss for words._

" _Y-Yes?" Ven answered with sweeping amounts of uncertainty and a touch of fear._

" _Vanitas," Terra said under his breath._

" _Ven. You let Aqua take you home," he continued._

" _No way. I wanna go with you guys," Ventus countered feverishly._

" _You can't. We have a dangerous task ahead of us. I don't want you to get hurt," Terra responded._

" _And what is this dangerous task, Terra?" Aqua's tone was cynical as her eyes reluctantly rose to meet his. "It doesn't sound like what the Master told you to do."_

" _It might be a different route, but I'm fighting the darkness," he replied, attempting to reassure her._

" _I'm not so sure. I've been to the same worlds as you and I've seen what you've done." Her eyes fell to the blue material of the reactor beneath her feet. "You shouldn't put yourself so close to the darkness."_

" _Listen to yourself, Aqua. Terra would never—"_

" _You mean you've been spying on me?" Terra bit back and the fact that his tone changed was not lost on her._ " _Is that what he said to do? The Master's orders?"_

_He was asking questions he already knew the answers to and there was so much pain and hurt in his dark eyes, but she stubbornly tried her best to ignore it._

" _He was only—" Aqua looked away. She couldn't take him looking at her like that. She thought she could but she couldn't. It was like she felt his pain, the betrayal he felt… Could she actually feel what he felt? Was that possible? It certainly felt like it._

" _Aqua." Ven looked over at her, a combination of disappointment and disbelief swimming in his eyes._

" _I get it." Terra's voice was low, almost a whisper._

" _Terra!" Ventus called when he saw the torment Aqua both saw and felt within their dear friend. The pain she had ruthlessly, mercilessly, and savagely caused._

" _Just stay put!" he roared without looking back at them. Terra clearly didn't want their sympathy nor could he stand looking at them anymore…specifically_ **her**.

" _I'm on my own now, all right?" he declared boldly and without hesitation, his words causing Aqua to recoil._

_No, this wasn't what she wanted at all! She didn't mean to hurt him- at least she didn't_ **think**   _she did. She just wanted him to open his eyes and see what he was doing. She did it to help. She was just trying to be a good Master…to keep the balance…to protect him from himself…_

" _Terra, please listen!" she cried and fought the powerful and almost uncontrollable urge to run to him. "The Master has no reason to distrust you, really! He was just worried."_

_But he was gone._

" _You're awful, Aqua," Ven said matter-of-factly, and he was right. She concurred completely. She_ **was**   _awful._

" _So now you know the truth." Aqua sighed. "But the Master loves Terra and you know that too."_

" _Were you also_ 'ordered' _to take me home?"_

_She didn't answer._

" _Aqua…now that you've become a Keyblade Master, you've let it go to your head. I'm gonna go find Terra."_

* * *

Aqua woke with a jolt, covered in a cold sweat, her dream forcing her to relive that day over and over again. Tears she didn't recall giving permission to leave her eyes mercilessly cascaded their way down the contours of her cheeks.

Her chest burned, as did her eyes and even her bones, her insides coiling with guilt.

" _You're awful, Aqua_ ," she chided herself, parroting her friend's harsh, yet traumatically true words in the stale blackness of early morning.

_Another restless night..._

Aqua never slept anymore, not really. She would go to sleep but then she was plagued by either unpleasant memories or fierce nightmares. When she closed her eyes, she saw nothing but darkness, Unversed, tawny eyes, and χ-blades.

That man, gone, but forever present in her nightmares. His face, the words in his reports, and his student's faceless mask had been forever engraved into her mind.

Accepting that she would not be going back to sleep any time soon, she sat upright in her bed.

Holding her head in her hands, she began massaging her throbbing temples. As she shifted in bed, the dry rustling of Xehanort's reports caused her to cringe.

She'd fallen asleep reading them… Again.

Silently, she picked up the scattered pages of what had become the bane of her existence for the past three years. The damned pages mocked her, laughing at her when she was awake and haunting her in her sleep.

Aqua was convinced the clue to where Xehanort was hiding was in those pages but for the life of her, she couldn't find that clue no matter how many times she read the twisted, bone-chilling ravings of that old, sick, demented man.

Truth be told, sometimes she thought  _she_  was the one that was demented. Maybe she was trying to find logic in reports that lacked any and all logic. Perhaps she couldn't find the answers she sought because they were not to be found within those blighted pages. Maybe they were just the incoherent ravings of a mad man who had gone off the deep end years ago, but she couldn't stop reading them no matter how painful or hair-raising it got.

It didn't matter how many times she read them, when she read of what he wanted to do to Terra and Ven, she would get light headed and downright sick to the point where she felt she would surely lose  _everything_ in her stomach or pass out.

The more twisted and curious part of her couldn't help but wonder what he planned on doing with  _her_. Kill her, she supposed. However, the thought of him killing her paled in comparison to the fear, anger, and sorrow she felt for what had almost happened to her dearest friends, her counterparts, her companions…those who meant the most to her.

Aqua hated Master Xehanort. She had never hated anyone in her life until she read those reports she had slowly obtained during her travels.

Hate was something the Master had taught her to disavow for it beckoned the darkness, but she just couldn't help it. She  _hated_  that man. She hated Xehanort and she wished him dead. He deserved it for all he had done and for all that he _wanted_  to do. She hoped he had gone off to die. She hoped that was the reason why he'd seemingly vanished into thin air three years ago, but she knew that wasn't the case. That would be too easy. He was out there somewhere…waiting…plotting…probably writing more twisted reports just like the ones she gathered off the blue surface of her bed.

Shaking hands touched the page that spoke of Terra. Her bloodshot eyes shut tightly as she tried her best to not read it.

Although her eyes didn't rake over the paper, the memory of the words on the page sang to her within her head. It was a wicked lullaby whose lyrics and music notes had been forever hammered into her eardrums and formed deep, cavernous wrinkles in her brain…

_'I had not visited this second home of mine for some time, and discovered Eraqus had already two pupils of his own. Within one of them, Terra, I sensed something. The boy, though well-intentioned, seeks power single-mindedly. And that kind of hunger is a seedbed for darkness._   _I had found my vessel.'_

She wanted to rip the page to shreds as if it could somehow keep that fate from ever transpiring, as if it could keep Xehanort from ever laying a foul hand on Terra, but before she could, she was reading it again…

_'The time has come. I have received word from Eraqus that his pupils are to become true Keyblade Masters. Terra and Aqua...They will be easy now to lure into the outside world. But Ventus! I will get nowhere without him._

_Vanitas can feel some of what Ventus feels, and he says Terra is the key. Ventus has loved Terra like a real brother ever since he let him keep his old wooden Keyblade. It seems we have found a loose thread at which we can tug to unravel Ventus's heart._

_The first step is to get Terra alone; then we need to plant the seeds of doubt in Ventus. Let him carry his faint light as he chases his brother into the darkness._   _Let the darkness make his light stronger, then let the light deepen the darkness. And where the two finally meet is where the stuff of legends will become real.'_

With a heavy heart and a heavy sigh, Aqua put the worn pages in order and placed them in her bedside table before she succumbed to temptation and set them all on fire.

It was so scary to think about how close they came to oblivion. Xehanort had been so close…

Aqua shuddered at the thought and took her sleeping Wayfinder off the nightstand, trying to use it to distract herself because she couldn't think about that. She just couldn't think about how close they were to-

No, she just  _couldn't_ think about it. Her mind refused. It hurt too much. It didn't happen and it wasn't real so why couldn't she keep herself from thinking that it was? Probably the nightmares...

Aqua had dreams, dreams where these events transpired, where Terra and Xehanort merged, where Ventus and Vanitas formed the χ-blade, and where she was left alone and cold in a bitter, blackened world she had never laid eyes on before. Walking… Always walking…aimlessly and ceaselessly walking in darkness for eternity while her friends wasted away, forever out of her reach... Somewhere she would never be able to find or help them.

"It's not real… It's not real…" she desperately tried to convince herself, hoping that saying it aloud would offer her solace and reassurance, two sensations she hadn't felt in years. She was always unnerved, always worried, always on the threshold of completely and utterly miserable or insane. She wasn't sure which.

"It's not real... It's not real... It's not real" Aqua chanted those words like mantra and instinctively squeezed her Wayfinder so tightly that she almost drew blood.

Subconsciously, Aqua rubbed her throat and fought the haunting, metaphysical constriction that tightened around her neck. Although she hadn't dreamt of the silver-haired Terra with gleaming golden eyes strangling her to death, she still almost _felt_  the memory.

That dream was the worst and the one that seemed to linger the longest and haunted her the most.

The Master almost had a heart attack when he heard her muted screams cutting through the night terror and penetrating their way into reality. The screams could be heard throughout The Land of Departure as if they emerged from the rasping throat of a banshee. Once the screeching stopped, the marks remained on her throat as if his hand had truly attempted to squeeze the breath and life right out of her.

Bruises that no Curaga spell could disperse marred the skin of her neck for hours.

Putting an end to her self-induced torment, Aqua got out of her bed and attempted to prepare for a new day. But it would be a new day full of the same redundancy she had endured for the past three years, a winding, dizzying rut of chasing ghosts or waiting for ghosts.

Putting her Wayfinder into her pocket, Aqua put on her clothes and unhurriedly exited her room, her childhood room, the room she still inhabited when she wasn't out on duty in other worlds.

As she quietly walked through the castle, she figured she would journey to the summit and practice a bit before the rest of the castle woke. Once everyone rose, she would go to ask Master Eraqus if he had any tasks for her and Ven, and if he didn't, she would probably decide to venture out on her own and chase ghosts…

If Aqua were honest with herself, she would admit that she didn't want to receive that look from her Master, that look of sympathy, sorrow, and confusion, a look that said so much without him uttering a single word but still said everything that he had said to her many times before.

' _Why do you stay? You know you don't have to.'_

' _Did you have another night terror?'_

' _You know, you can obtain pupils of your own.'_

' _What's wrong, Aqua?'_

' _You shouldn't blame yourself. You need to let go of this guilt.'_

' _Why don't you go to some of the other worlds and try to enjoy yourself?'_

Master Eraqus wanted her to attempt to take on some form of normalcy during their limited time of fragile peace, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop thinking that Ven needed her and she couldn't keep herself from waiting for Terra to come back home…

She had this absurd notion in her head that Terra would come home and when he did, she wanted to be there. He would come back to them. He had to… Her heart demanded it. They needed him.  _She_ needed him. Home wasn't home without him.

After spending a few hours of basic conditioning and magic practice on the summit, she returned to the fortress to see a very chipper Ventus waiting for her on the castle steps.

She forged a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She hadn't _really_  smiled since… _that night_ , the night before the Mark of Mastery Exam.

"Good morning, Ven. You're up early."

"Yeah... I, uh, had some stuff I needed to talk to the Master about." Ven nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Did you sleep okay last night?"

"Not really. I had the dream about Radiant Garden again," she confessed as she continued her trek toward the massive, lavender stairwell that led visitors to the castle's entrance.

"The memory one?" Ventus asked as he stood to meet her. "It's been a while since you've had that one."

"Yeah, I managed to wake myself up before you told me that you found Terra but he was gone…"

Aqua was glad she had woken up before it got to that point in the recurring dream. To her, that was the worst part, hearing Ven tell her that Terra was gone…

"You really need to stop beating yourself up about that." Ven shook his head and looked at her solemnly.

"Maybe I should have gone after him. Maybe I should have sent you back home by yourself instead of coming back with you…"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't have gone unless you went with me."

"Still…I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I would have gone after him instead of taking you home. Maybe… Maybe he would be here with us now if I had…"

"Or maybe none of us would be here," Ventus mused darkly.

Aqua giggled in spite of herself. "True, but I suppose it doesn't matter now. I can't undo what's been done."

"Nope! You're stuck with me!" Ven smiled.

Ventus was now a handsome eighteen-year-old but he would always be like her little brother, he would always be that wide-eyed boy she needed to look after and protect even though his face had lost its childlike quality. His features had become more angular, but he still had his slender build. He had gained more height than girth. His height had surpassed her own, but she still had ways of making him feel three inches tall when the occasion called for it.

Aqua managed to smile at him but didn't stop her trek towards the entrance.

"Whoa! Hey!" He chased after her. "Where are you going?"

"Going to speak with the Master, I suppose… I'll find you after?"

"Sure thing!" Ventus beamed like a child.

She couldn't help but notice how he had maintained his childlike optimism and innocence in spite of everything. She loved that about him, even envied it a bit because she wasn't sure if she could handle the unfairness that had been forced onto him because of Master Xehanort's madness.

Because of the plan involving the χ-blade and the fact that both Xehanort and Vanitas were still out there somewhere, Ventus wasn't allowed to grow too strong or become a Master. Master Eraqus offered him as many freedoms as he could, but that wasn't much. He trained, sparred, and frequently visited other worlds with Aqua, but because Ven was growing and maturing and since Xehanort, Vanitas, and the χ-blade were still a frightening possibility, precautions had to be made and strict limits had to be set.

It wasn't fair but life wasn't really fair. No, it  _definitely_  wasn't fair but Aqua couldn't help feeling like this was better than the alternative. Surely this was better than Ven being lost or killed to create this χ-blade. She just hoped that Ven understood that they did what they did because they loved him and they wanted to protect him, not out of cruelty or to punish him for something that clearly wasn't his fault.

Damn Xehanort.  _Damn_  him. If it weren't for that vile man, they wouldn't have to live in fear. They wouldn't have to take such unfair precautions and they wouldn't have to live life constantly looking over their shoulders and perpetually walking on eggshells.

Aqua frequently wondered about what could have been. What if they were able to stop him? Would Terra be with them? Would he and Ven be the amazing Masters she always knew they could be? Would she be happy? Would she still feel as diseased as she did now? Would she be able to sleep in peace without wondering which dream would torment her next?

Shaking her head, she regained her Master's air. She put on her professional face and straightened her posture as she reentered the fortress they called home and prepared to face the Master.

She walked through the corridor of glimmering, vibrant stained glass. Her silver, armored shoes clinked loudly against the golden flooring she had waltzed upon thousands of times before.

"Good morning, Aqua." Eraqus smiled at her when she reached the steps leading to the dais of thrones, his silvery eyes shimmering with warmth and compassion.

"Good morning, Master." She bowed gracefully.

"As you probably know by now, I have already spoken with Ventus."

"May I ask why?"

Aqua was nothing if not protective of Ven and she did everything she possibly could to make sure he was included in everything since he was frequently held back by the bitter grip of fate and even her own unintentionally traitorous hands. So if Ven could do something without endangering himself and in turn endangering countless others, Aqua wanted him to do it. She wanted him to spread his wings as much as possible although she knew he would never be able to truly do so with Xehanort lingering in the shadows.

"We are concerned about your well being," he replied.

Aqua tried really hard not to react. This conversation happened a lot and frankly, she was tired of it.

"I'm fine," she countered more out of habit than anything. It was her knee jerk reaction to this conversation. She no longer knew if she really meant it.

Eraqus gave her his trademark concerned look. It was a look that said:  _'I really want to believe you but given the circumstances, I can't.'_

"Of course." He bobbed his head. "Regardless, I have an…assignment for you, one that we agree you should confront alone.

"And what assignment is that, Master?"

He took in a deep breath. "It involves Terra."

Aqua's eyes widened and her heart clenched at that name. Anytime  _his_  name was spoken aloud, it caused her physical pain.

"I want you to go to Traverse Town and speak with him. See if he would be willing to come home or at the very least work more closely with us to find Xehanort."

"I-I don't understand…" Her eyes fell as she slowly shook her head. "Why can't Ven come with me? Surely we would have better chance of convincing him to return if we spoke to him together. The three of us—"

"Aqua," he interrupted politely, "I wouldn't ask you to do this alone if I didn't feel it was necessary."

Aqua closed her burning eyes and took a deep, shaky breath.

This terrified her. She didn't want to go alone. She and Terra hadn't parted on good terms. She hadn't spoken to Terra since their fight in Radiant Garden three years ago, since he realized the Master had sent her to ' _spy'_  on him right before she had returned home with Ven and right before Xehanort, Vanitas, and the Unversed mysteriously vanished.

"How are your dreams?" The Master added when she continued to stand there dumbfounded and numb.

She managed to blink. "About the same, I suppose…"

Master Eraqus sighed and sat in one of the three thrones at the front of the room.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I think your night terrors are linked to Terra and his absence?"

Aqua's brow furrowed and she couldn't control the confusion that contorted her features. "Excuse me…?"

He sighed and folded his fingers under his chin. "Allow me to elaborate. I think you and Terra might have a unique connection called a Keychain."

Her eyes fell to the floor yet again as she tried to remember the details of the lesson they had received about Keychains  _years_ ago. It had been so long ago in fact that she couldn't recall much.

"It's…" Aqua began, her eyes rising to meet Eraqus's, "It's a special bond between Keyblade wielders or Masters. Correct?"

"That's right. There are the Keychains we use with our Keyblades but there are also Keychains that bind Keyblades and the wielders themselves together, and they exist or come into being for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, they hold keys or wielders together for the purpose of bringing an end to conflict. Other times it is simply to bring each other peace of mind, to protect each other's hearts and spirits. And sometimes it is to protect each other from themselves, their own powers, the malevolent powers of others, or external forces."

"Destiny's way of holding keys together," Aqua rummaged through her memories aloud.

_Keyblades that have a goal that must be reached together... Keyblades with a similar purpose… Those with a similar fate… Wielders and Masters with a deeper connection… Or something like that…_

"Yes but I have no way of proving whether or not a Keychain exists between you and Terra, but I see the signs. I've even spoken with Master Yen Sid and he has been able to sense something as well. I believe your night terrors should go away if you are reunited with Terra. The dreams are likely the link's way of trying to tell you that you need to go to him. I'm sure Terra is experiencing some form of suffering as well. If this link exists, the two of you will continue to suffer if you continue to deny and strain the bond."

"I wasn't aware that Keychains could be so… _aggressive…_ " she mused.

"Each one is different. However, most Keychains only last until the conflict or task that caused the Keychain to come into existence is completed," Master Eraqus continued. "Still, I know very little of Keychains because they have become so rare but if I had to guess, I would say your link is probably one that was birthed out of the need to put an end to this pending or  _postponed_  conflict with Xehanort."

"I see…" she whispered. "But Master, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Frankly, she was stunned. This was a lot to take in.

Had… Had she done this? Was this her magic? Had she willed this into existence?

"As I said earlier, I want you to try to talk to Terra. See if he would be willing to return here and speak with all of us. Perhaps together we can finally find Xehanort. Or at the very least, give you some closure and peace of mind."

"Ven has already tried to talk to Terra and his words have fallen on deaf ears," she countered.

"But you aren't Ventus, Aqua. You and Terra have a past and according to Ventus, you still have some issues to work out." He stood and descended the steps until he was a few feet from her. "I don't know what happened between the two of you but I can't watch you suffer anymore. Aqua, you look like you never sleep. I am watching you deteriorate before my eyes…"

"I'm fine," she insisted yet again, her tone unintentionally terse.

"Please." He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Try to reason with him. If not for yourself, do it for him. Not only him but for Ventus and the fate of our World as well."

Aqua watched him with wide eyes. He was desperate and truly believed that in some roundabout way, this was the answer to their problems…or perhaps the first step in the right direction. He (and apparently Master Yen Sid and Ven as well) thought this Keychain was trying to tell them something, trying to warn them about something. She was tempted to agree. Things couldn't go on as they were. Something had to be done.

"Right. I understand." She straightened her posture again and tried to keep her spiraling emotions in check. She had to be professional, she had to be strong, and she had to be a Keyblade Master. "I would never question your decisions. I shall leave right away."

No. It was not her place to question her Master's decisions or reasoning. Master Eraqus and Master Yen Sid had strange yet uncanny senses. They just… _knew_ things and if they thought she and Terra had some metaphysical bond that could potentially aid them in their fight against Xehanort, she should at the very least consider it. That was apparently what Ven wanted her to do and it was  _definitely_  not her place to go against Ven's wishes.

_If this is truly what Ven wants me to do, then…I'll do it…_

* * *

The instant she opened the fortress's doors, she saw Ven sitting at the foot of the towering stairwell, swinging his Keyblade at the air around him.

His ears perked as her footsteps pierced the silence around him. He stumbled to his feet, turned, and ran to the stairs to meet her.

"So...?" he drawled. "Are you going to do it?"

This was truly puzzling. Why did he want her going after Terra _alone_? She was sure he would want to come with her to retrieve their old friend when the time came. She expected him to be upset, not  _excited_  that she was going alone. Perhaps at this point, he was hoping her going alone would make a difference.

"I suppose but…I'm nervous…" she confessed as she resisted the urge to hold her Wayfinder. "Why don't you want to come with me?"

"Don't get me wrong, I want to see Terra more than anything, but after talking with the Master…and given the way you and Terra left things… I-I know how guilty you feel and I just thought that it would be best if you two talked it out without me first. You know, the way you two used to when you fought."

With a dejected sigh, Aqua nodded.

It was clear Ven wasn't a child anymore. This was a very selfless and mature decision and impressive evaluation on his part. He had always been more mature in regard to the whole Terra situation, but then again, it was easier for him to be. They had parted on better terms and Ven had visited him in Traverse Town from time to time over the past few years.

Now that she thought about it, she was the only one who hadn't seen or confronted him since Xehanort's _second_  disappearance. Master Yen Sid spoke to him more than anyone while she and Master Eraqus maintained a strained relationship with him but she didn't expect anything less.

In Terra's eyes, they had betrayed him. The overwhelming sense of failure and the stubborn notion that he was unfit to face  _any_  of them after what he'd done and what he had  _almost_  done didn't help things either. The whole situation was… _messy_  to say the least.

"You two can work it out and who knows! Maybe he'll finally come home for good. If anyone can convince him that he is worthy of returning home, it's you…and Master Eraqus," he quickly added the Master at the end of his sentence and Aqua raised a skeptical, blue brow at him. "Master Yen Sid and I have tried but…"

Aqua nodded again so Ven would know that he didn't have to say anything else and that she understood. Terra was nothing if not stubborn.

"I'll try my best!" She grinned and he embraced her.

"Be careful, okay? And hurry back! The three of us have some serious catching up to do."

She could tell he was thinking that things would go back to normal. Why he thought that was beyond her… Did he know about Master Eraqus's Keychain theory? And even if he did, did he honestly believe that it would bring Terra back to them? That it would magically fix everything?

_Don't hold your breath,_ she thought but kept the pessimistic statement to herself.

Aqua wished that he wouldn't be so happy and optimistic. If he couldn't convince Terra that he was worthy of coming home, what made him think that  _she_ could? Why would Terra listen to her? Even if she _could_  somehow convince him to speak with them, she seriously doubted Terra would stay. He would probably listen to the news, the assignment, whatever it was the Master wanted them to discuss, and bolt. Ven knew this as well as she did and yet he was optimistic which only fueled her suspicion that he knew about Master Eraqus's theory. Not only did he know about it…he  _believed_  it.

On some level, Aqua wanted to believe in it too but she couldn't. Not anymore. She'd been through so much that she no longer knew what to believe in.

* * *

Dismounting her Keyblade glider, Aqua released a belated yawn. The ride to Traverse Town took longer than expected and she was tired, but she was  _always_ tired considering she never really slept. Such was her life now. It was a life full of perpetual sleep deprivation, but it was only one of the many symptoms of her unknown ailment, the unidentified disease that slowly ate away at her aching soul.

_Maybe the Master is right…. Maybe there is something else outside of Xehanort and the past that is driving me crazy…_

Pushing the thought away, Aqua dispersed her armor, revealing the simple clothing underneath.

Before she left The Land of Departure, she had changed into civilian clothing, a white tank top and jeans to be precise. She'd learned during her recent travels that people were growing more suspicious and she had begun changing her attire to try to match the culture of the worlds she visited. She had to keep the order and the secrecy of other worlds but with advancing technology and curious individuals, that was becoming harder and harder to do.

Aqua laced her fingers, held her arms over her head, and stretched out her rigid muscles and the stiffness that had crept into her joints while she'd sat atop her glider. While stretching, she walked through the outskirts of glowing town of neon and approached the First District.

As she walked through the town of perpetual night, she saw why Terra had been drawn to it. It was quant but lively, busy but not too noisy or cumbersome, big but not _too_  big. Should she live to retire, as Master Yen Sid had, she would want to relocate to an area like this one. Somewhere where she could spend the rest of her days in peace, however, she would prefer an area that experienced daylight.

Aqua's feet slowly began to turn to stone as she approached the spacious Second District where she knew Terra lived—at least that was what Yen Sid had told her. He lived here when he wasn't out protecting the balance and seeing other worlds. She hoped she would catch him between worlds so this trip wouldn't be in vain…or prolonged if she chose to wait here for him.

Her heart grew as heavy as did her feet as she climbed the steps and made her way through the small crowds of giggling children and gossiping adults.

Once she reached the Second District's hotel, she entered through its luminous, yellow dual doors.

She was so nervous she was shaking and felt like she might even get sick.

_"Can I help you?"_

The voice was kind but still caused Aqua to jump out of her skin. She fought the urge to summon Rainfell as she turned to address whoever was speaking to her.

It was merely the innkeeper, a kind looking man with blue-gray eyes, brown hair, dressed in a tidy, blue blouse.

_Not a threat, just a civilian._

"Oh!" she cried and held a trembling hand over her hammering heart. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be rude… I've just been a bit jumpy lately."

The innkeeper grinned. "No, it was my fault for not being more considerate of my guest."

Honestly, she hadn't even realized she had made her way down the hotel's long hallway to the counter so it surprised her to see and hear someone addressing her. Physically, she had walked to the counter but emotionally she was about a thousand worlds away.

"So, Miss, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a friend of mine. I was told he was staying here. He's tall, has brown hair, dark blue eyes, and…" she started to say dark but she was trying to stop using that word to describe him.

"Terra?" the man inquired as he drummed his fingers on the sleek wood of the front desk.

"Yes, sir." Aqua nodded.

She didn't want to say his name right away. There was a possibility that Terra was using an alias now and if he was, she didn't want to be throwing his real name around. However, Terra seemed to be taking a blunt approach as always. She hoped that hadn't come back to haunt him. It was dangerous for him to be throwing his real name around while Xehanort was still out there, probably searching for him, his  _vessel._

"When he's here, he stays in room 2 down the hall…but he isn't here much." The hotel owner shrugged.

"That's all I need to know. Thank you so much." Aqua beamed before turning on her heel and venturing down the hallway to the room he referred her to.

The fact that it had been so easy to figure out where Terra was staying did nothing to ease her frazzled nerves. Terra was a big boy and could easily take care of himself but Aqua couldn't help but worry about him. She worried about him every minute of every day but him being on his own worried her even more because that was what Xehanort wanted. According to his reports, that was the first thing he needed to do: get Terra alone.

Mark one up for Xehanort. Terra was alone.

' _I'm on my own now, all right?'_ he had shamelessly declared and he had meant it. From that day on…he was and had been on his own.

Shaking her head as if it could erase the thought, she continued down the hallway to the door with a number two carved into its surface. When she reached his door, her hand timidly flattened against its wooden contours. She gingerly caressed its ridges as if she could touch _him_  through it, as if she could affectionately touch him without spurring confusion and anger in him.

Her eyes closed and she traced the outlines of the door and she could almost see him by simply touching what he had touched.

It was cold. It had been a while since he'd been there. The trail was stale and hard to follow but she had picked up on it nonetheless. He was hard to see and he was smothered in shadows so she couldn't get a good impression of what he looked like now.

Realizing she was being strange and downright peculiar, she snatched her hand away from the door as if it had burned her.

What  _was_  that? She supposed it was some Keyblade hocus pocus that she didn't understand or know of or maybe it was the magic in her Wayfinder or her own magic for that matter. She was always doing weird mage things subconsciously…but she couldn't keep from thinking of the bond the Master mentioned…

Oh, well, it didn't matter. She just needed to knock on the door instead of  _touching_  it.

This was it. He was either on the other side of this door or he wasn't. A part of her preferred the latter. Correction: the  _coward_  in her preferred the latter.

_No, I'm not a coward!_ she proclaimed privately.

She took her Wayfinder from her pocket for assurance, courage, and comfort before finally knocking on the door.

_Why did I do that?_ she quickly contradicted herself and glared at the hand that had betrayed her.

Her heart was going to bludgeon its way right out of her chest. She just knew it. It was going to beat right through her sternum then it would plummet to the floor and rest at her feet. Then, when Terra opened the door, he would crush it beneath his armored boot.

After what seemed like hours, there was no answer. Swallowing her pride and her burbling fears again, she knocked a second time.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited, but he didn't answer.

Of course, he didn't. That would be too easy. Why would he answer her now? Why would he come to her now after refusing to do so all these years? Why did she expect him to answer her pained, desperate cries for him now?

Aqua folded her arms and tapped her chin as she contemplated what she should do now.

Should she stay and wait for him? How long would she have to wait? Her subconscious told her forever because it seemed like that was all she ever did anymore: she waited for Terra to return but he never did. Did she need to go home and inform the Master she couldn't locate him? Was failure an option with this  _task?_ How important was this task? Was this even a task? It seemed more like a request.

She assumed she had a few more hours to kill. She figured she could enjoy the sights of the city a while before visiting his room again. She would try once more, then she would return home with or without him.

Exhaling, Aqua turned on her heel, gently placed her Wayfinder back in her pocket, and journeyed back down the hotel's seemingly endless hallway. She exited through the double doors and violently crashed into something that felt like a lot like rock wall.

Grunts erupted from her throat and the throat of the boulder she collided with as she collapsed into its warm, yet sturdy chest.

_Wait… Boulders can't grunt…_

_"I'm so sorry. I guess I wasn't watching where I was going,"_  a deep, sincere voice apologized as painfully familiar arms loosely embraced her and chivalrously helped steady her.

Her voice failed her as she realized who held her and who was speaking to her. It was  _him._ She had finally found  _him._

Instinctively, her hands gripped fistfuls of the black shirt he wore. Her scalding eyes closed and she pressed her cheek to his well-muscled chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

For the first time in years, she was soothed. His touch offered relief. She actually felt comforted. It was like someone had  _finally_  cast Curaga upon a huge gaping wound that had been torturing her for years. Her nerves no longer felt scraped raw and her soul no longer ached. She wasn't worried about  _anything_  anymore and she felt like she could finally close her eyes and sleep,  _really_  sleep.

Her knuckles blanched as she gripped the fabric that covered his torso, holding onto it for dear life before he realized who she was, before he realized who clung to him. It wouldn't be long now before he noticed her blue head and he would know. He would pry her off of him and the dull ache that persistently tormented her would return. That disease would reestablish its hold and her bones would burn, her muscles would sting, and her nerves would curl in discomfort as her body seemed to reject itself.

Aqua needed to stop, she knew that, but it had just been so long since she had seen him or felt his presence, and even longer since she had actually  _touched_  him. The beautiful hum of his vocal chords against her cheek and his sweet earthy scent in her lungs was heavenly.

Oh, how much she had missed him! She missed him so much that even the mere thought of letting him go now that she had finally been reunited with him made her feel like she would die were she to be separated from him again.

All at once, she felt him stiffen against her. His chest rose and expanded as he took in a sharp breath.

He knew.

_"Aqua?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> I've been toying with this idea for a while and I was finally able to get all my thoughts together enough to make the first chapter. Again, this is a what if story and my bizarre depiction of what would have happened if Aqua would have taken Ven home after their reunion in Radiant Garden instead of going after Terra and just telling Ven to go home like she did in the game. It is my shameless way of making Terqua a thing while still attempting to stick to canon constraints and settings. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading! I appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter 2

"Aqua?" Terra's body went rigid when he saw the familiar head of luminous blue against his chest.

Why was she here? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. His mind automatically went back to the time they'd bumped into each other and she'd told him that Ven had run away from home and he started to panic.

Blinking rapidly, Aqua released his shirt and pulled away, his hands still holding onto her shoulders as he helped her detach herself from his chest.

"Hi, Terra." She timidly smiled up at him, hesitantly allowing herself to make eye contact.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he held her at arm's length. "What's happened?"

In hindsight, Terra realized it was probably pretty rude to not even say hello to her but the general confusion that accompanied her spontaneous presence and the urgency to find out what brought her here took priority.

She stood upright, straightening her suddenly poor posture and brushing off her clothes as she slowly retrieved her composure.

"Oh, nothing's happened," she said coolly. "Everything's fine."

He was pretty sure she was using the word  _'fine'_ lightly. In reality, they both knew things were as fine as they could be, which wasn't very fine at all.

Terra released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and his hands slipped off her cool, bare shoulders.

He relaxed a bit. He was glad nothing (aside from the obvious) was wrong but that still didn't explain why she was here.

"Good, but why are you here?" One of his dark brows drifted up his forehead.

"Well…you see…that's kind of a strange story…"

"Alright. Let's hear it." Terra responded apathetically, folding his arms over his chest and attempting to brace himself for whatever it was she was about to say.

As he waited, his wielder instincts took over and he found himself scanning his opponent who happened to double as his old, dear friend. It finally started to sink in who was actually here, that _she_  was actually here. It was Aqua in all her ethereal, graceful glory, but she looked tired, _really_  tired.

Like him, she was in civilian clothing that suited her fully developed physique nicely. It had been a while since he'd laid eyes on her. She'd matured a little. Not much but enough for him to notice. Her hair was a little longer and her cheeks weren't as rosy. Unlike him, she hadn't gained any more height but she _definitely_  had more curves than he remembered her having...

He shook his head when he noticed his mind was wandering around the gutter.

"We should probably talk about it somewhere…more private..." Aqua's eyes wandered around the glowing Second District. He followed her gaze and didn't see anyone suspicious, but that didn't mean they weren't there and that they weren't listening.

"Oh…right," Terra replied, motioning for her to follow him.

Silently, they journeyed back into the hotel and entered the green room where Terra had taken residence.

"Uh, sorry the room's kind of a mess. I, um, wasn't expecting company." Terra closed the door behind them.

He couldn't help but be reminded of all the times Aqua had busted into his room, complained about it being messy, then proceeded to help him clean it before the Master saw. Her room, of course, was always spotless.

"No, no, it's fine." She held her hands up and shook them defensively. "I wasn't planning on  _being_ company until this morning."

Terra gestured for Aqua to take a seat at the nearby table and she humbly accepted.

The room grew unpleasantly quiet and he began scratching the back of his neck as he paced back and forth in the same spot by the bed until he almost worked grooves into the carpet.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Want some water?" He began rambling. This was kind of awkward although he was still pretty sure they probably knew each other better than anyone.

"S-Sure?" Aqua shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

The uncomfortable silence returned as Terra moved to a small refrigerator in the corner of the hotel room. He wanted to dissolve the tension but he couldn't think of the best way to go about doing that, so he left well enough alone. The silence was probably the lesser of the evils…

"Why do you have so many Panaceas?" Aqua asked, having obviously noticed all the empty Pancea and Hi-Potion bottles he had lying on the table and around his bed.

"I get really bad headaches. Panaceas and Hi-Potions are the only things that kind of help," he replied curtly as he handed the bottle of water to her.

Saying he had headaches was an understatement. Saying that he had screaming neuralgic episodes would be a much more accurate depiction of his ailment. He would get headaches to the point of nausea and even vomiting on his really bad days. The headaches would blur his vision and sometimes, he would even get blind spots.

To make matters worse, he was sensitive to light and sound, and the physical activity and exertion that came with being a Keyblade wielder only made the insufferable pain worse. So not only were the headaches excruciating, they inhibited his daily activities. He was lucky if they only lasted for a few hours…but he had experienced episodes that lasted for days. However, Aqua was in luck. She'd chosen to visit on a day that his brain wasn't violently imploding inside his skull every five seconds.

"Oh." She dropped the subject, probably trying not to be the protective and sometimes overbearing girl she used to be although she was obviously concerned.

She opened the bottle and took a few sips.

"So." Terra smiled a bit. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Master Aqua?"

Aqua flinched as if he'd slapped her. She'd picked up on the hint of resentment in his tone as he utter her title. He didn't necessarily mean for it to come out but it did. He couldn't take it back. It as out there and he knew why. That was what time, the Mark of Mastery Exam, and Xehanort had done to their friendship and their once healthy rivalry…

"Master Eraqus sent me here to speak with you and request that you come back to the Land of Departure." Her tone was professional and flat. Terra didn't like it but it was probably easier to make this professional. It wouldn't hurt as much if it was professional and maybe that air of professionalism would keep the tension, confrontation, and conflict away.

"Was it an order or a request?"

"Both?" She shrugged and played around with the top of her water bottle. "He was very vague."

"You mean he didn't tell you?" Surprise took control of his face.

"No, he just wanted me to come speak with you. I think he wants us to combine efforts to find Xehanort since all of our prior attempts at finding him have been unsuccessful."

"Still following the Master's orders, I see." He scoffed a bit before crossing his arms and leaning against the nearest wall.

"Well…yes," Aqua replied innocently although they both knew very well what he was referring to. "But…it's not the kind of order that you're thinking… You don't  _have_  to come back. The choice is yours. I wasn't ordered to bring you back with me."

"Were you ordered to the first time?"

"N-No." Aqua laced her fingers in her lap and looked away. "He called it a  _request_ …"

"See my point?"

"I do…but you don't understand. This isn't like last time and even then you misunderstood what we were trying to do."

"No. I understood. You didn't trust me. You didn't think I could handle the darkness in me." He walked to his bed and clumsily collapsed onto its surface.

"No. It's not like that…" Aqua almost dropped the water bottle and if he didn't know any better, he'd think she were a few seconds from leaping from her chair kneeling down in front of him. "I would never— I was only…"

Aqua was stumbling all over herself, unable to explain what was buzzing around in her head but her eyes shone with desperation. He could see how badly she wanted to find the right words to say to him…but those words probably didn't exist even though a part of him wanted those words as badly as she did.

"No," he interrupted but didn't look directly at her. "You were right to distrust me. You both were. I said I wouldn't fail again, but I did. My careless, naïve actions were leading us straight into oblivion."

"No, Terra… We pushed you to it…" Aqua held her head down. "We just… I just… I'm sorry…"

Bitter silence consumed the room yet again.

It was too much. They'd probably confronted that issue a bit too quickly and now things were awkward.

Sighing, Terra stood, walked around her, and placed his hands in his pockets as he gazed out the window. He couldn't look at her.

"Did he say anything else?"

"Sort of…"

"Sort of?"

She sucked in a deep breath. "Yes. He mentioned a Keychain."

Terra glanced over his shoulder. "That weird bond thing between Keyblade bearers?"

"Mm."

"What about it?" he probed when Aqua suddenly became very closed lipped on the subject. Her blue eyes stayed glued to the carpet as her hands wriggled around in her lap.

"The Master thinks we might be linked together by one," she admitted lowly, reluctantly.

He shook his head. "I don't understand. A Keychain between just the two of us means… It suggests we're...! And we aren't! Our relationship was never like that…"

"They can be platonic," she clarified matter-of-factly. "The Master said it's probably born out of necessity. In our case, it would be triggered by the unresolved conflict with Xehanort. And if that's the case, the Keychain will likely break once the conflict that spurred its creation is resolved."

The more Aqua spoke, the more Terra began to remember this lesson from years ago. It seemed so insignificant at the time and trivial in the long run. These things were supposedly rare and he hardly saw how it mattered or would matter. It seemed more like something fake or something out of a fairy tale to comfort children than something that would matter to actual Keyblade Masters. He thought that the first time he was informed of this kind of thing and he thought it now. Especially since this was sometimes a romantic concept, something that usually happened between individuals who were romantically involved with one another. In a way, a Keychain was another word for marriage between Keyblade bearers because, normally, wielders and Masters didn't get romantically involved with one another unless a Keychain existed between them.

"I was blindsided by all of this too and honestly, I'm still kind of stunned and confused," she continued when he didn't respond. "The Master didn't tell me much…but if you want to go back with me, I'm sure he would go into more detail. We can try to sort through all of this together."

Her offer was tempting but honestly, Terra didn't feel like he was ready to go back. He hadn't set foot on that sacred ground since his decent into darkness, after his countless failures, and he'd made a vow to himself that he wouldn't return until he redeemed himself. He had to change the Master's mind. He had to do what he'd set out to do years ago: stop the Unversed and find Master Xehanort. Only then would he truly feel worthy of returning home and facing his Master…his home…his friends…his family.

However, this news had complicated things. Running into  _her_  had complicated things. Avoiding coming home was one thing but denying a request from the Master and going against his wishes was another. Obviously, he thought this was important, important enough for Aqua to come all this way…

"Then...I guess we should get going."

Aqua froze and glanced over her shoulder at him. "You're actually coming?"

Terra shrugged. "I don't really have much of a choice. I still want to redeem myself and prove to the Master that I'm worthy of being a Keyblade Master and if I'm going to do that, I probably need to be responsible and respect your requests. I wouldn't be a very good Master if I didn't appear when summoned, now would I?"

She smiled. "Ven will be so happy. He has really missed you. We all have."

He'd missed them too, but he just couldn't go back. He had failed too many times. He had steeped his heart in darkness for too long. He needed to be alone. He needed to figure himself out, get himself together, get his darkness under control and he just didn't think he could do that there. There was too much light, too many confusing emotions, and too much pressure. It would just make his darkness spread.

"I suppose I should head back and tell them that you're coming," Aqua announced as she walked toward the door.

"Right." Terra gave a nod and turned to escort her out.

"Ven will have an aneurism if I take too long. He demanded that I hurry back." She chuckled a bit.

"H-How is he?" he inquired, his voice low as he followed Aqua to the door.

Her eyes fell to the floor. "He puts on a brave front. He is chipper and happy as always, but I think he is more troubled than he lets on."

Terra sighed and watched her silently. He had so much to say that he was actually at a loss for words. They bubbled up into his throat but they lodged there before they could ever come out of his mouth.

"What me to escort you out of town?" He changed the subject instead.

"No." She gave a small smile and shook her head. "I can go myself. Thank you though."

"No problem." Terra shrugged a shoulder.

"So, I guess, I'll see you back at the Land of Departure?" Aqua inquired as if she was still trying to make sure this was real and that he was indeed coming home.

"Yeah. I'll be right behind you." Terra almost smiled. Almost.

* * *

Setting foot on the soil of The Land of Departure felt odd. It had been so long since he'd been here. It felt like another lifetime ago, but this world had not aged a day. It looked just the way it did in his memories. Everything was just as he thought it would be when he returned, but he was hoping to feel more at peace on the inside when he finally came back.

_"Hey."_

Terra looked down to see Aqua standing close to his side, her eyes swimming with concern as she peered up at him affectionately. It felt like she understood what he was feeling inside although he hadn't uttered a word to her. She saw the uncertainty in his features and the tension in his body.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…I'm just kind of…"

"You weren't ready," she finished for him.

"Honestly?" He chuckled dryly and shook his head. "No, I wasn't."

"We don't have to go in right now if you don't want to. You can take a minute to process everything and prepare if you need to. We could go up to the Summit."

"It's tempting but I think I've stalled enough. If I keep stalling, I might not ever go in."

"We'll go together." Her hand touched his shoulder and he exhaled harshly, some of the tension leaving his body and some of his nerves uncoiling at her light touch.

Taking in another deep breath, he finally decided to move his stubborn feet in the direction of the castle.

_"Terra!"_  an almost familiar voice cried and was followed by a string of pants and rapid footsteps.

"Ven?" Terra turned and Aqua smiled.

A very excited, but winded Ven sprinted down the Mountain Path and approached them.

"You're...home!" he exclaimed between breaths.

"You're tall." Terra chuckled and placed a hand on his head before shaking his spiky, blonde hair. He couldn't help but notice it didn't take his hand  _nearly_  as long to reach the top of his head as it used to.

Ven laughed and tried to wiggle his head out from under his large palm.

"Hey! It hasn't been _that_  long since you've seen me."

"True, but for some reason, I still expect you to be a short fifteen year old." Terra grinned and folded his arms over his chest.

Aqua giggled into her hand and Ven seemed surprised to see that her smile actually reached her eyes. Apparently, it had been a while since she showed signs of genuine happiness.

"Have you two already been to see the Master?" Ventus asked.

"No, Ven, not yet," Aqua replied.

"Well, come on! You don't need to keep him waiting!" he cried and Terra instantly noticed the contrast between his two best friends. Ven - while well intentioned - hadn't notice his apprehension as Aqua had.

Terra's brow furrowed with confusion as Ven's words sank in and he cast his gaze back to Aqua. "Does he know what this is about?"

"I'm not entirely sure but I think so." She gave a shrug.

"Come on, you slowpokes!" Ven teased as he bolted toward the large fortress. "I know you two are old but I didn't think you were out of shape!"

Normally, this would be the part where Terra said something snarky in return, chased after Ven, put him in his place, and earned bragging rights for a week, but his nerves and apprehension held him back. He just couldn't jump right back into this. He needed to adjust and he couldn't do that by chasing Ven around the castle like he used to.

Terra wanted things to magically shift back to the way they once were too, but he had to be realistic. Too much had happened and it just wasn't possible…not yet anyway. He had to be mature. He had to show the Master that he had changed. He had to change the Master's mind about him and he couldn't do that if he succumbed to old habits the instant he returned. It would do nothing of the Master's image of him.

Pushing the musings away, Terra realized Aqua was still at his side. She had waited on him. Why she did, he wasn't sure. He hadn't exactly been nice to her since their reunion so why was she being so considerate and showing him so much compassion? He didn't deserve it.

"Ready?" she asked, a sweet smile on her face.

She was the first to take a few steps forward, clearly thinking that doing so might encourage him to move as well.

Taking in yet another a deep breath, Terra followed her lead and wretched his boots from the earth beneath his reluctant feet.

Ven was already inside the castle but Aqua was only a few steps ahead of him as he ascended the stairs that led to the fortress that he had once called home.

Terra's breathing hitched when Aqua opened the massive doors that led to the castle's entryway and ultimately, the throne room. He knew who was inside waiting for him and he still wasn't entirely sure what all of this was about or what the Master's intentions were and that made him nervous. Terra wasn't crazy about the unknown and he didn't really care for surprises.

Although he was nervous, very uncertain, and downright opposed to this, he walked stoically and calmly through the foyer of gold, ivory, and radiant, multicolored stain glass. The walk to the thrones and to Master Eraqus seemed to take years but Aqua walking quietly next to him managed to take the edge off somehow.

The closer Terra got, the more he realized how much Master Eraqus had aged. His black hair was grayer and his thin beard appeared to be dusted with salt. The Master's eyes were worn (outlined by a few more wrinkles) and tired but they still had the kind, gentle glow he remembered so well.

"Hello, Terra," Master Eraqus greeted and eagerly descended the steps to meet him, the boy he had raised and once regarded as a son.

Terra swallowed hard and stood erect at the foot of the dais with emotionless features.

"It is so good to see you after all this time," the Master added proudly as he placed a gentle hand on Terra's shoulder.

The guilt that coiled in Terra's insides at that moment was almost unbearable. This man was practically his father but he had come so close to betraying him and turning on him because of hurt feelings and naivety. He was ready to take Xehanort as a Master instead because that man had convinced him that he was the only person who could ever understand him, the only person he could count on, and that he would never be a Master in Eraqus's eyes…

"It's good to see you too, Master." Terra managed to reply without having his voice betray him and reveal how bad he truly felt.

Master Eraqus beamed with pride at the sight of all three of them standing before him. It had been a long time since they had been together like this, but the individuals before him now were not the children that stood before him three years ago. These children were older and not really children at all anymore.

While Ven was the most changed, that didn't mean Aqua was without change either. Terra had grown a bit in stature but Aqua had been left behind in height. Both Ven and Terra were taller than she was now. But more than anything, their faces and eyes had aged. They no longer held as much child-like quality as they once did. Their innocence and optimism had been fractured, damaged beyond repair.

The differences were subtle but they were noticeable all the same even though Terra didn't want to notice them. It hurt to acknowledge how much time had passed, how much had changed.

"Aqua, Ventus, thank you for joining us as well." Master Eraqus smiled.

"Yes, Master," replied Aqua and Ven in unison.

The Master nodded and returned to the center throne where he took a seat. The fact that he was getting comfortable told Terra that he was expecting this to be a lengthy discussion.

"I suppose there is no reason to waste precious time, so I'm just going to get straight to the point." Master Eraqus's eyes focused on Terra. "What has Aqua told you?"

"Not much but she did mention your Keychain theory."

"And what are your thoughts on that theory?"

"I… I'm not sure. I don't really have any…"

The Master's eyes shifted to Aqua. "What about you?"

"What about Ven?" Aqua's eyes drifted to him. "Shouldn't he be involved as well?"

"Because of your extremely powerful friendship, I have no doubt that the three of you have a special bond as well, but what I am referring to currently, is between you and Terra," Master Eraqus replied.

"What's the difference?" Terra challenged. "What makes you think there is more than one connection? Couldn't you be sensing something between _all_  three of us?"

"That's a possibility but I don't think we should rule anything out. The links and ties that bind us all are fickle, delicate, and meticulous. One link is not necessarily stronger than the other but they can certainly be different."

The Master spoke differently than he use to. He was the same but he too had aged a lot in three years. He sounded a bit more like Master Yen Sid now…

"And, at the moment, what's between the three of you is not as insistent or as demanding as what is between the two of you," the Master continued.

"How can you know that?" Terra tried not to scoff or be rude but it was hard.

"You mean you do not feel the affinity you have for her?" Eraqus asked the question in a way that casually implied that  _everyone_  could feel the invisible bond between them. He said it like it was painfully obvious to everyone but him.

Terra's eyes widened before they wandered to Aqua. "Well… Of course… Of course, I do but that doesn't mean anything." He was blushing.

"Are you asking for proof?" Master Eraqus countered.

"I don't know… Maybe." Terra ran a hand down his flushed face. He was completely exasperated and over stimulated. This was all too much and it was all happening so fast. He was on information overload and it was making him act irrationally.

The Master shook his head. "I have no way of offering any. If I could, I would but I don't know much about these bonds either. All I know is that it will make itself known. My only advice is to listen to your heart. You'll feel it mentally, physically, and emotionally. I'm sure you've already been experiencing it's influence in some way. For example, Aqua hasn't been able to sleep for some time now. Night terrors keep her awake and that is one of the reasons I began to suspect a Keychain."

Terra couldn't keep from thinking of his headaches.

"Have you experienced anything like this?" Master Eraqus asked as if he were reading his mind.

"I have migraines sometimes but that could just be contributed to stress."

Terra was struggling with this. He always found conflict with things he couldn't see or understand. Believing wasn't always enough for him. He liked things solid and concrete, like earth. He always struggled with the metaphysical. He was the total opposite of his alleged counterpart, Aqua.

His eyes wandered to the girl in question. She didn't look surprised or too concerned. She looked elegant and composed as always but he could tell that somewhere beneath that tranquil mask, was her true reaction to all this.

"How does something like this even happen? Does something trigger it?" Ven inquired, sounding more curious than anything.

The Master shrugged. "Sometimes instantaneously. Sometimes it is the result of a traumatic event, manifesting out of the basic human need to be comforted. Other times it is to protect someone of importance, an alliance if you will. But most of the time it is simply beyond any understanding."

Aqua held her hand over her heart. "Can you… _will_ something like this into existence?"

"Powerful Masters have been capable of all kinds of things."

"I think it happened a long time ago but it's just now causing problems because the two of you haven't really been apart before," Ven stated matter-of-factly, having clearly put some thought into this. "What do you think, Aqua?"

"I, um…well..." Aqua's bright blue stare fell to the floor. "I'm not entirely sure…"

"At one time, I suspected a bond when you were just children but as time passed, I ruled it out as a possibility." The Master held his chin in contemplation. "Regardless, all Keychains exist for a reason and I cannot ignore the signs before us now. Nor will I turn a blind eye to what fate is trying to tell us."

"What if I don't think Keychains are real?" Terra stated flatly. "What if I choose not to believe it?"

"If you ignore it and the task it wants you to confront together, then you will likely reap the consequences. The Keychain is now a part of you and thus, you and Aqua are a part of each other. You are coupled whether you want to be or not," Master Eraqus replied matter-of-factly.

"It's kind of…convenient, isn't it? That it's Aqua? The same person who was sent to spy on me three years ago, to bring me back if I succumbed to the darkness, and keep me from being led astray? I guess she's been promoted from spy to full-blown babysitter now? Spying wasn't enough…now she has to be with me at all times to keep me out of trouble, is that it?" Terra's eyes rose to meet Eraqus's.

Terra felt ganged up on. After all this time, they still didn't trust him or think he was capable of keeping the darkness in him in check. They still looked at him like he was a loose cannon, a liability and that was why they were throwing this bond, this… _Keychain_ on him.

"This is not a repeat of the past, Terra. Despite what you may think, fate has dealt you this hand, not us," Master Eraqus insisted, trying to reassure him but Terra's resolve refused to crumble. "But I  _do_ see why it exists. Keychains are a form of dual guardianship. You're partners and equals. That is how these bonds work. One is not greater than the other. Both keys are used to reach the same goal, a goal, a responsibility, or a mission that cannot be reached with just one key. It requires you both. Individuals linked by Keychains share the same complimentary, compatible goals and sometimes even life goals. Their natures are in sync. Sometimes it is even safe for them to confront each other's darkness. They can go into these dark corners that would normally be to perilous for them to confront alone and address it safely and light can spread through them both."

It took a lot for Terra to not scoff or flat out laugh. At first, he was angry. Then he was bitter. But all of that was quickly snuffed out by hurt, pain, and the overwhelming sense of betrayal.

"I get it." Terra nodded and turned on his heel to leave. He'd heard enough. He understood what was going on here. Even if this was  _destiny_  or _fate_  or whatever, he didn't like how even _it_  seemed to deem him unworthy of doing anything on his own, even it thought Aqua needed to babysit him.

"Terra..." Aqua placed a hand on his shoulder.

He froze. He was tempted to pull away, yank his shoulder right out from under her but for some reason he just couldn't. It was too comforting. Maybe… Maybe the Master was right. Maybe they  _were_  bound together by something greater, by some predestined bond, by some ancient Keyblade magic…or maybe he was just responding to the comfort that only one of his dearest friends could provide.

"Terra, I know this was probably the last thing you wanted or wanted to hear but I avoided informing you two of this as long as I could. I just couldn't ignore the signs anymore and as a Master…as  _your_  Master I had to do what destiny demanded I do." The Master almost pleaded and rose from his throne.

"I understand…but I don't want it. I don't want this. I don't need nor do I want a Keychain," Terra said softly, his voice barely over a whisper as Aqua's eyes darted back and forth between him and a suddenly very perturbed Master Eraqus.

"Unfortunately, Terra, you may not have a say in the matter," Eraqus replied gently but the vagueness and ambiguity set off another spark of anger up his spine.

He slid Aqua's hand off his shoulder and turned to leave. He couldn't take anymore. He was at capacity. He'd heard enough.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was setting, giving the whole world a warm, orange glow that reflected on the nearby pond's surging surface.

Aqua stared blankly at the still lily pads while the shimmering water beneath them slowly flowed downstream.

After their meeting with the Master, she'd fled to the summit to think. She sat on the lush grass that grew by the tiny pond that ran through the summit's expanse. For whatever reason, being by water always seemed to calm her down.

She didn't know where Terra and Ven were. When Terra stormed out of the throne room, Ven had sprinted after him. She, in turn, had almost run after Ven but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to actually move her feet.

This seemed to be a pattern for them. Terra was always running away and they were always chasing after him, trying to pick up the pieces left behind.

She thought she might find them here but she was actually relieved to find they had gone somewhere else. She just wasn't ready to talk about what happened yet. Honestly, she wasn't ready to talk much at all. She just wanted to be quiet and wrestle with her thoughts a bit.

A Keychain… It had been so long since she had even thought about them. The Master had only given them one lesson on them and she'd been sure she would never hear about them again.

She remembered finding them sweet and charming the first time she heard about them. A bond or union  _specifically_  between two wielders or Masters, something so strong that it was predestined and couldn't be avoided or denied, fate's way of protecting them and others by giving them sanctuary through one another.

Years ago, Aqua would have been ecstatic upon learning that she had obtained this type of bond with someone. It would have meant that she was important enough to receive one, strong enough to receive one, lucky enough… Destiny deemed her worthy of receiving a Keychain. They were taught that it was something special and important, a great gift whether it be a romantic pairing or not…but why did it feel like a burden?

_"Well, that didn't go like I thought it would."_

Recognizing the voice instantly, Aqua looked over her shoulder to see Ven crossing the nearby bridge and making his way towards her.

"What did you think was going to happen?"

"I thought it would help." Ven shrugged before collapsing onto the ground beside her. "I thought it would bring you two back together, that it would bring all of us together again…"

Those words broke her heart. More than anything, Ven wanted them to be a family again but apparently, not even something as strong and as omniscient a Keychain could give him that.

"So that's why you've been so upbeat lately," Aqua mused.

"Mm hmm." He nodded and began using Aero to whirl the lily pads around on the water's surface. "The Master and I talked about it the other day. I was hoping that things could go back to how they used to be and maybe the Keychain was what would finally bring Terra back to us. That it would make him stay. You know, to be with you…"

Solemnly, Aqua watched his spell make the lily pads dance along the water like little nymphs as his words crept into her heart.

"I mean, isn't that what Keychains do? Don't they hold people together? You two are supposed to work together now? Right?"

"Normally, yes, but I think Terra and I are an exception." Aqua's eyes stayed focused on the water, unable to look at him directly.

"Because he said he didn't want it?"

She shrugged.

"What happens when one of the people linked to the Keychain deny it?"

She gave a second shrug. "The Master said they would reap the consequences."

She expected another series of questions but Ven was suddenly mute. Just as she was about to give him some words of encouragement, she realized they were no longer alone.

"Can you give us a minute, Ven?" Terra's deep voice sounded behind her and she winced. "I-I think Aqua and I need to be alone for a second…"

Aqua could see Ven's expression change from one of pessimism to one of hope. She could tell he was thinking that maybe Terra had changed his mind and that he wanted to work with her or be with her…or whatever they were supposed to do, but Aqua knew Terra and she could tell by his tone that he was coming to sever what was left of this brittle filament between them that the Master dared to called a Keychain.

"Yeah. Of course!" Ven jumped to his feet. "I'll wait for you two back at the castle."

"We'll catch up with you in a minute." Terra forged a smile that fell the instant Ven turned his back.

Once Ven's footsteps faded into silence, Terra plopped onto the ground beside Aqua and caused ripples to form along the water's glossy surface.

They didn't speak for a long time but Aqua could feel him staring at her as she denied him eye contact.

"I'm sorry it's me." She sighed and turned her head further away from him.

"What?" Terra reeled, blinking rapidly.

"I'm sorry you're linked to me. I'm sorry it's me and not someone else."

Terra was probably indifferent at best but if he had to have a Keychain, he'd probably want one with someone he loved. That was ideal. A Keychain should be between people who wholeheartedly, selflessly, and unconditionally cared for each other… _not_  between strained friends.

She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought of a Keychain between them at some point when they were teenagers…before Ven came along and it was still just them. Aqua's demented, girly, teenage mind went to that dangerous place and secretly hoped that one day they would fall in love and it would turn out that love was so powerful that it was born from a Keychain or would maybe forge one, like they were always meant to be together, like it was written in the stars before they ever laid eyes on each other…

"I know I'm probably the last person you wanted this with."

"Why would you think that?" Terra whispered.

"Because it's true." She tried not to snap. She saw how he'd reacted in there and she knew  _he_  hadn't forgotten. Why  _wouldn't_  she think that after the way he acted?

"It's not that… I just—"

"You don't have to explain yourself, Terra." Aqua shook her head dejectedly.

For a moment, he looked relieved. Then he seemed wounded, like he was reprimanding himself. She thought he was a few seconds from speaking his mind, from explaining what he was feeling but in the end, instead of trying to offer her peace of mind, he just sat there twiddling his thumbs.

"You just wouldn't understand…" he mumbled and she wasn't sure if he was mumbling to himself or to her. Either way, she'd picked up on it.

"Wouldn't understand? Terra, what wouldn't I understand?" Her tone was angry but her voice was beseeching as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

Aqua's sudden outburst took him off guard and he recoiled a bit, likely realizing they weren't really talking about Keychains anymore.

"That this is about my darkness, my failures, and my dishonor. This isn't about us or destiny or… _Keychains_. It's about keeping me in line and my darkness in check. That's what you wouldn't understand. You wouldn't even be able to comprehend it…"

"Who would understand? _Xehanort_?" Aqua spat _his_  name like bile.

"Maybe…"

"Why do you always assume we won't understand you? Terra, we've known you for years! Understood you for years, but the instant the Master confronted you about your darkness and the instant that  _monster_  started putting these absurd notions in your head, suddenly, we don't understand you anymore?"

"I didn't say you don't understand  _me._  You know me better than anyone but you don't know darkness, my darkness. None of you know darkness…but he did."

"I would have tried if you would've just given me the chance. You just assumed I wouldn't. Your demons are my demons, Terra. We're a team. What affects one of us, affects all of us… Your darkness may not have been in  _my_  heart but—"

"I just needed someone to tell me that I was fine the way I was!" he bellowed. "I didn't want to be condemned or spied on or lectured because I wasn't as radiant as you or Ven. Master Xehanort was the only person who didn't do that. He didn't make me feel like a failure…"

"Are you forgetting who that man was? Didn't you read those reports?!"

"I did. You know I did and I know he's a monster. I know he was planning on doing and did do horrible things but honestly, he was the only person who I thought would understand that part of me, the only person who could help me understand that part of myself when it was still so foreign to me. The only one I could still count on… The Master wouldn't _help_  me with darkness, he would only tell me to dispose of it but it runs too deep in me for it to ever be disposed of… It was too late for that… It _is_  too late for that."

"Terra… I wanted to understand that part of you… I did, I  _do_ … I wanted to help then and I still do but…I can't help feeling like you wouldn't take my help. I think you would misunderstand it for condemnation or criticism. And who knows, maybe it would be. Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't know how to properly confront that part of you."

Aqua knew his darkness would always form a barrier between them and that maybe Xehanort could understand him in a way that they never could. There was some truth to what Terra said and that hurt.

Yes, Xehanort was using Terra and manipulating him but he was able to do so because he  _understood_  that dark, vulnerable part of him. The part of himself that he was so ashamed of that he hid it from them the instant it manifested during the Mark of Mastery Exam. The dark part of his heart she could never reach because she was too bright to venture into it. She supposed in a way, she was jealous of Xehanort and his ability to cajole Terra's darkness.

"I want you to know that…I'm sorry for not trusting you and for doubting you when you needed me on your side. And I'm sorry that I don't know how to help you control your darkness. I guess… I guess I'm just sorry that none of us can be everything that you need and that our harsh  _methods_ just made the shadows in your heart larger. I didn't understand what I was doing to you then but I do now and I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I forgive you." Terra smirked. "But you don't really have anything to apologize for. You were just doing what the Master always taught us to do. He never taught us how to contain or master darkness. It just…wasn't supposed to exist and if it did, we were supposed to reprimand it and extinguish it."

"If I could have helped you through that… If I had known how to do so properly, you know that I would have. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I know."

It grew quiet again, painfully so. Aqua didn't know what else to say. She had never felt so detached from him, so far away from him and she just knew that wherever Xehanort was, he was reveling in it.

Their conversation had reminded her of how blind she'd been to his needs, to his distant, subconscious, subtle cries for help and how even if she had heard them, she would have had no way to help him. She would only make it worse. She had proven that multiple times. She couldn't give him the advice or knowledge he needed to save him from himself. There would always be that disconnect between them, but light and darkness were connected, right? They coexisted. One couldn't exist without the other but that didn't mean that they could fully understand each other either.

"You know, you don't have to stay just because of what the Master said. You aren't _required_  to be with me." She decided to shift back to the matter at hand. She didn't really want to dwell on the past anymore even though it did still seem like a major part of her present.

Terra hesitated and she could see confliction behind his eyes. He was at war with himself, likely at war with what he wanted to do, what he needed to do, and what he felt obligated to do.

"Are… Are you sure?" he asked with vast amounts of uncertainty.

"I'm sure. Why should you stay for something you don't believe in?" Aqua offered a weak smile,

Terra frowned at her sad imitation of a smile briefly before forcing a pitiful grin of his own. It was as pathetic and soulless as her smile.

The air was once again filled with more of that unbearable silence that seemed to be following them everywhere. It stretched on forever until he leaned forward and offered her his hand.

For the first time since he'd sat down next to her, Aqua turned her head to fully regard him and the strange offering.

His palm was face up while the back of his hand rested on his knee in silent invitation.

Not knowing what else to do, Aqua placed her hand in his and his fingers instantly curled up and secured her hand within his palm.

He was warm, but he felt good. It made the dull stinging in her chest more bearable.

Was he apologizing? If he was, what was he apologizing for? Was he apologizing for the things he had done in the past? For leaving her? For denying this part of their lives? For refusing her and their Keychain? But he didn't want it nor did he believe in it, so why would he apologize for anything? It was just a myth or a legend made up by their predecessors to him; nothing but a bunch of Keyblade hocus pocus… Like her…

Her slender fingers wrapped around his hand in return and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You should talk to Ven before you go. He had his heart set on this working out. He wanted this to bring the three of us back together, for good. He was hoping this would make you stay with us."

"Oh, right." Terra shook his head as if he were trying to come out of a trance. "I'll try to explain it to him."

"I'll talk to the Master for you. All I ask of you is that you talk to Ven." She looked up into his dark eyes. She was grateful they were still midnight blue and not that foreboding hue of gold from her nightmares.

Terra's gaze was intense, so intense that he didn't appear to be breathing.

"Okay, thanks," he finally replied, ripping his eyes away from hers.

Terra rose to his feet and let go of her hand. Slowly, their hands slipped apart and her fingertips trickled down the length of his long fingers.

She wanted to remember how his skin felt. She wanted to engrave it into her memory so she wouldn't forget how he felt or how it felt to touch him. She wanted to count every wrinkle on his hands, every scar, every single crease and callous before he abandoned her again.

"I guess I better go. My business is done here. I'll come back if I hear anything from Master Xehanort or if I get any clues." Terra brushed the grass off his pants. "You or Ven may want to check the Keyblade Graveyard every now and then. Master Xehanort frequented that location and I never like to go too long without revisiting it."

Aqua nodded and Terra knelt down to rest a hand on her shoulder. His arm draped over her and he rubbed her shoulder to offer her some form of solace or comfort. He rested his cheek on her blue head, her soft hair tickling his cheek and teasing his lips.

She closed her eyes tightly as if it would keep the tears from falling down her cheeks. She didn't feel like she had to cry but she just knew her eyes would betray her and display to the world how this was killing her inside.

She could feel him resting his head against hers, his hand roughly rubbing her shoulder, but she didn't move. She  _couldn't_  move. If she did, she would cling to him to keep him from leaving them again, but she couldn't be selfish. If you love someone, you let them go. And Aqua loved Terra.

"Goodbye, Terra," she whispered and if she didn't know any better, she would have sworn she felt him press his lips against her hair. However, she  _did_  know better and she knew that she was just imaging it.

Time marched in place as Terra hesitated again. For a moment, she thought he might be having second thoughts. Maybe this was as hard for him as it was for her. Maybe he didn't want to leave yet or maybe he wasn't ready to leave  _her_  yet. She couldn't tell but he was clearly reluctant. Maybe the Keychain was getting to him after all…

_No. His mind is made up._

"Bye, Aqua."

* * *

Terra decided he was one of the worst human beings alive. Not only was he leaving the girl who was supposedly attached to the same Keychain as he was, he was leaving the boy – well, young man now – who wanted nothing more than to have his friends back. Not to mention he was abandoning whatever responsibility and obligation he had to this alleged  _'Keychain'_ and his Master. But he couldn't stay. They just didn't understand…

As Ven's form slowly came into view, Terra could already see the disappointment in his posture as he sat upon the castle steps. He probably already knew what he was about to tell him.

"How did it go with Aqua?" Ven had a small smile on his face as he rose to his feet and approached him.

Terra shrugged. "It went."

Vague and indifferent... Terra was sure that was the strategy and art he would master  _way_  before he mastered the Keyblade.

"Is she upset?" Ven inquired and Terra could tell from the way he asked the question that they had grown more attached to each other in his absence and that hurt. It hurt. A lot.

"I-I'm not sure…"

_I tried not to notice…_

"Oh." Ven held his head down and looked away. "So, you're going away again?"

"Yeah. I have to. I can't stay here."

"Why not?"

And there was the question Terra was trying to avoid like plague.

He cursed under his breath.

Terra almost wanted to use the old excuse of  _'you're too young to understand'_  but he was pretty sure he couldn't use that excuse on an eighteen year old as easily as he had a fifteen year old.

He released a sigh. "I just don't belong here anymore and I have to leave now or I won't be able to leave at all. It's not that I  _want_  to leave…it's more like I _have_  to."

"Because of Xehanort?"

"Well, partly. I just… I still have a lot that I have to deal with and I can't do that here."

"You can't do it here or you _won't_  do it here?" Ven chuckled a bit.

Terra smirked. "Honestly? A bit of both."

"Want me to come with you? You probably get tired of being alone."

"I really appreciate the offer, Ven, but I don't think the Master and Aqua would be too happy if you ran off with me."

Ven nodded and folded his arms, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"And honestly, I would feel better knowing you're here with them. It's best that you stay here with them. They need you." Terra placed a sturdy hand on his shoulder.

"They need you too. You know that, right?" Ven argued politely but more feverishly than he would have three years ago. Terra's best friend wasn't fifteen anymore.

"No one needs me," Terra grumbled under his breath.

Ven opened his mouth to argue but ended up shaking his head and sighing instead.

"Okay. You win. I disagree, but you win… What about the Keychain?"

"What about it?"

"I don't know." Ven scratched the back of his neck. "Aren't you two…I don't know, supposed to be together now or something?"

"If this thing exists, and I'm not convinced it does, it has probably existed for a while. We've been apart for three years and nothing has changed and nothing has happened. We aren't required to be together. Aqua said so herself," Terra replied sternly and he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince: Ven or himself.

"But…what if something  _does_  happen. Just because something hasn't happened _yet_  doesn't mean that it won't. The Master said that it existed for a reason which means that—"

"Aqua is starting to rub off on you. You're worrying too much." Terra, true to old habits, roughly rustled Ven's hair.

Ventus grimaced and fought off the playful assault, causing both of them to laugh and break into a brief wrestling match that resulted in Ven being locked into a chokehold.

' _When I really need you Ven, I know you'll be there,'_ Terra had said to him another lifetime ago and he knew Ven wouldn't let him down. When Terra really needed him, Ven  _would_  be there.

"Stay here and hold down the fort." Terra chuckled and released Ven's blonde head, putting an end to their roughhousing.

"Of course!" Ven straightened his posture.

"And…" - Terra's tone turned serious and his features hardened -"…take care of her…"

Ven's eyes widened, taken back by Terra's sudden change in demeanor but he nodded nonetheless.

Terra tried desperately to ignore the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. The last time they stood in front of the castle steps together was right before he left the first time, before Xehanort went missing, before all hell broke loose. He just hoped things would be different this time.

* * *

After Terra left, Aqua and Ven retreated to the serenity of the Summit. They sparred for a while and once they finished, they couldn't find it in their hearts to leave. Instead, they chose to lie on the ground and stare at the sky until the sun set and stars coated the endless sky.

"What did you tell the Master?" Ven glanced over at Aqua. His words were the first spoken since Terra left.

"The truth, that Terra didn't feel like he could stay here and that he didn't really want any part of this, that he went back to do what he set out to do, what he has done for the past three years," Aqua replied softly as her eyes tried to count each and every star shimmering in the dark blue sky.

"How did he take it?" Ven asked, shifting his arms behind his head to make a more appropriate pillow.

"Fine, I suppose. He didn't seem too surprised." She gave one of her shoulders a shrug.

He sighed. "Why did you tell him he could go?"

Aqua winced.

"I didn't really tell him he could _…go_ … I just said that he didn't have to stay…"

"But why?"

"Because," she answered, her tone exasperated. "I didn't want him to stay because he felt that he had to. I wanted him to stay because he wanted to…"

"He would have stayed if you asked. He suggested that you had given him permission to—"

"I know," she interrupted.

Silence.

"Look" – she shifted onto her side and looked down at him – "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that… I just… I just didn't want him to feel obligated. Despite what the Master said, I didn't want to coerce him into anything. It just wasn't what I wanted. It _isn't_  what I want and I know it isn't what he wants either."

"You know, you're almost as stubborn as Terra." Ven smirked.

"Maybe…"

Silence.

"You know, I still don't know what he meant when he said that the stars were just like me," he mused aloud, attempting to lighten the mood. "He said I was too young to know then and I always thought once I was old enough, I'd understand, but I still don't."

Aqua smiled at the memory of their last night together. "You can ask him when he comes back, when all of this is over…"

"Do you think we will ever find… _them_?"

"Yes. They have unfinished business with...us." Aqua didn't want to say ' _you.'_  "I use to think they would find others to torment in our place since we didn't really work out but then I remember that…he has to have you."

"Unless he made another Ventus and Vanitas," Ven said darkly.

Aqua tensed and sat up briskly. "Do you think he would do that?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. I don't remember much from before I was brought here, but I  _do_ remember he was a relentless Master and we all know what he was planning on doing three years ago. Not to mention what the Master told us. He said Xehanort was always like that. That he could never let things go." Ven stared blankly at the sky, his eyes distant and unfocused.

Aqua hated when he talked like that. It was so unlike him and it reminded her how all of this impacted him. She wasn't the only one haunted by memories and nightmares. Ven was haunted too. They all had their own personal demons.

"Have you remembered anything else?" Aqua asked timidly, resisting the urge to coddle him. He wasn't a child anymore and she continually had to remind herself of that even though, to her, Ven would  _always_  be the sweet, innocent boy Xehanort brought to them.

"Mostly training sessions with him. Lots of yelling and condemning." He sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

Instinctively, she pulled him into a hug.

Oh, how she wished that he'd never had to go through that. She couldn't even begin to imagine what that would feel like. She had nightmares but that was all they were, nightmares. Ven's nightmares were  _real_. They were his memories and most of them were far from pleasant. Sometimes they came to him in the form of dreams or nightmares, and sometimes the simplest things like certain words, phrases, or movements triggered them. Once, Aqua said the word  _'feckless'_  and it sent him into a fit.

She _never_  uttered that vile word again.

"Whoa!" Ven chuckled as Aqua embraced him. "Not that I mind, but what's the occasion?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered into this neck.

"For?" asked Ven with another laugh.

"For everything. That you had to go through that and just… For everything."

"Why?" He patted her back. "It's not your fault."

"I know but I still hate it and I want to take it all away. I want all of it to go away…" Aqua squeezed him tighter, searching for comfort and solace against him while attempting to offer it to him at the same time.

Ven appeared to be at a loss for words, which was odd. He usually had a response for  _everything,_  but at that moment, he was silent. He simply wound his arms around her waist and continued to return her embrace.

Aqua gave an empty laugh as she pulled away and placed a lock of blue behind her ear. "Terra was right. I really am a girl sometimes."

Ven grinned. "Well, you are a girl so I guess we can forgive you for acting like one from time to time. Just don't make a habit of it!"

"I'll try not to." She flashed a small smile.

"So, I was thinking I would go to the Keyblade Graveyard to look for Xehanort," she said as she regained her normal air and demeanor. "Terra recommended that we do so. Do you want to come with me?"

"Normally, I would but I don't think I should. You know, since Master Yen Sid and Master Eraqus think that the Keyblade Graveyard might be the only place the χ-blade can be forged. Not to mention I ran into Vanitas the last time I was there…"

"Right. You don't have to say anything else. I understand. I should've known better than to ask. I'll go alone."

"You sure? I bet Mickey would be happy to go with you," he suggested as he leaned back onto his elbows.

"No. That's not necessary. I can take care of myself and I hate to bother him. He has a lot to deal with anyway. You know, being a King and all."

Ven nodded. "So when will you go?"

"As soon as possible. The sooner we find Xehanort, the sooner we can put an end to all of this."

* * *

Terra hadn't been back in his normal routine long, but his head was already exploding. He'd had a chronic headache since he left The Land of Departure and it had done nothing but worsen as time passed.

He had tried to search for clues to Xehanort's whereabouts in Radiant Garden but all he could do was walk around in a daze and attempt to not get sick in one of the fountains.

He could hardly function for the headache, much less search for clues. Even if he did somehow manage to find a clue, he wouldn't be able to do anything with it. His brain was too busy ruthlessly smashing against his skull to concentrate on anything.

A trip to another world had also been on his mental to do list for that day, but all he could do was surrender to the severe neuralgia and gracelessly stumble back to Traverse Town.

Hopefully, he could make it back to his hotel room, get in bed, and sleep off the migraine he was experiencing. He would just have to make up for lost time the next day because he _clearly_  wasn't capable of functioning at present.

Everything around him was blurry. No matter how much he blinked or tried to focus, everything around him was hazy: the dim street lights, the pedestrians, the towering buildings, the glowing doors that led to the hotel, the front desk,  _everything_.

Unable to take another step, he collapsed against the nearest wall of the hotel's suddenly crooked hallway.

The whirling wallpaper appeared to be throbbing and drawing ragged breaths with him as he pressed his aching forehead to the walling.

Terra didn't fall or tumble to the ground, but he did use the wall for some much needed support. He didn't have the strength to continue his perilous journey to his room without it.

He ghosted along the wall like a blind man, using his hands to see where he was going as well as the numbers and emblems on the room doors.

When he finally crashed into the familiarity of his door, he fondled the handle until the door gave, causing him to violently plummet to the floor with a grunt.

It was getting worse. How on earth a headache as monstrous as the one pestering him now could possibly get worse was beyond him. He thought the only way it could get worse was if his head blew clean off his shoulders.

He was wrong.

Terra crawled along the floor and managed to get his entire body into the hotel room before ultimately getting sick on the floor.

Was he dying? Maybe he had a brain tumor. What if he had been blowing off something terminal?

If he was capable of hearing the tiny voice in his head, it would have suggested that the headache could be some of the  _'consequences'_  the Master had warned him of; suffering caused by him neglecting fate's call, the Keychain, and ultimately, Aqua.

Whatever the cause, he supposed it didn't really matter now because it seemed like whatever it was had finally caught up with him and could possibly take his life soon.

Death wasn't a new concept to Terra, but he certainly didn't think that this was how he would go. He always thought he would go down in some epic battle or die sacrificing himself for his friends, something epic and grand. He  _never_ thought he'd die in a hotel room face down in his own sick...

When the pain subsided and he realized he _wasn't_  about to die, he managed to get back to his feet. He wandered to his medicine cabinet and grabbed an armful of Hi-Potions and Panaceas, spilling a few and dropping a few more on the floor as he stumbled back to the center his living quarters. Clumsily, he scattered the remaining medications that weren't in shattered pieces on the floor out along his table.

Terra collapsed into a nearby chair and stared blankly at his stash. At this point, he wondered if it would even work. Maybe he needed professional help. Did he need to go to an infirmary, a clinic, or an asylum? He wasn't sure what he needed to do but before he did anything, he would have to get some relief and the only way he knew how to do that was by downing as many Hi-Potions and Panaceas as he could.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and proceeded to slowly drink a Hi-Potion. It didn't do much but he could feel a difference—at least he didn't feel like he had one foot in his grave anymore.

Reclining into his chair, he rubbed his disgruntled temples as if he could rub his ailment away.

After chugging a few more mixtures, Terra felt like he could finally trust his legs again and decided he should probably clean his vomit and all the broken bottles of medicine off the floor.

Unhurriedly, he rose to his feet, walked towards his cabinet, and snatched a few towels out of it. After carelessly tossing those same towels to the floor, he began picking up all the broken glass and discarding it in a nearby trashcan. Once the visible glass was gone, he got onto all fours and began attempting to scrub the floor clean. He wasn't trying to make it spotless, he just wanted it to be somewhat presentable. He just wanted the majority of the mess gone. The maid could take care of the rest.

Cleaning the floor made him miss Aqua. A few years ago, he would have just gotten her to help him, and she would have done so gladly with a warm smile on her face.

She was always helping him clean up his messes. She was better at cleaning messes while it seemed like all he could do was make them.

With a heavy sigh, Terra leaned back on his haunches to inspect the state of his floor. It wasn't spotless but it would do.

Deciding that was enough cleaning for the moment, he tossed the dirty towels onto a heap of equally dirty clothes by his door and hobbled back to his feet. Now all he wanted to do was sleep off what remained of his headache. He would worry about the mess later. Rest was current his priority.

He shifted on his feet and turned to walk to his bed, but before he could get there, it felt as if someone had stabbed him through the back of his skull with a scalding hot poker.

He wailed, holding his tormented head in his hands as he mercilessly fell to his knees.

His suddenly muddled vision was filled with flashes of images as he held his eyes tightly shut and waited for the assault to cease.

But it didn't.

Pictures of the Keyblade Graveyard rapidly flickered behind his eyes. He saw blinding blinks of golden eyes, baby blue eyes, corroded Keyblades, bloody sand, and Unversed. Voices and noises invaded his ears until his hands moved from head to his ears to drown out the miserable sounds.

The twitchy, shrill cry of the Unversed clawed at his eardrums while voices fought for dominance within inside his head.

_'Come out, you freak!'_

' _Want to know something else I've outgrown? You!'_

_'The legend says that if one of the keys along the Keychain dies, the remaining key will die too.'_

' _I've… I've done it…he's…he's finally finished…Ven…Terra, you can rest easy…'_

"Aqua…?" Terra mumbled, grabbing fistfuls of his hair.

He could hear his heartbeat in his ears and it was so loud he hardly noticed that there was a second heartbeat in his ears. It was softer, fainter and it was slowing down rapidly.

His vision was then filled with a warm, familiar blue: blue hair, blue eyes, blue clothes, and finally, a blue Wayfinder stained with blood.

The second heartbeat stopped.

" _Aqua!"_  Terra leapt to his feet and bolted out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Aqua had never been to the Keyblade Graveyard before. She had only visited it in her nightmares, and as she walked through this desolate world, she was glad she had never truly laid eyes on it before. It wasn't a pleasing sight to behold.

The Keyblade Graveyard was a barren wasteland, full of nothing but ghosts and dust, a place where nightmares were made.

The longer she was there, the more she wished Ven had come with her or that she had taken his advice and asked Mickey to investigate with her. This world did nothing but give her the creeps. It was quiet, way too quiet. The only sound to be heard was the abnormal, perpetual wailing of the harsh, otherworldly wind.

There was no life here, only death or remnants of death. There were no birds, no animals, no flora, and no people. The vast emptiness and arid atmosphere left her feeling hollow and idle. The dead ambiance of this world was harrowingly contagious.

As she started out at the endless fields of dead keys, she could almost hear their cries calling out to her from the lamented earth they slept within. They begged for an unreachable peace that she couldn't give them.

There were so many of them. It was hard to imagine a time when there had been so many Keyblade bearers around when they were all but extinct now. The only ones she knew outside of her small family were Yen Sid, Mickey, Vanitas, and Xehanort.

Aqua knelt down in front of three Keyblades that appeared to be connected at their apexes as they delved into the splintered terrain. She couldn't help but be curious about those who once wielded the Keyblades before her. They were wielders and Masters just like she and her friends were. Had they fought side by side or had they fought against one another? Did they know about Keychains? Were they a part of one? Who were they before the Keyblade War ripped them apart?

Anyone who would lust for the rebirth of that war couldn't be anything less than a monster...

"I'm sorry." Aqua ran her fingertips down the worn hilt of the ancient Keyblade. "I can't undo the past, but I won't let this happen again. This tragedy will not be repeated. I promise."

With a sigh, she rose to her feet and took her Wayfinder in her hand as she scanned the desolate area around her. She didn't even know where to start looking for Xehanort and Vanitas. This world was huge and there were places to hide  _everywhere_.

_This might take a while…_

Aqua really hoped that if they were there, she could sense their darkness. She could sense them before but it had been so long that she was afraid she might not sense it as she once had. Then again, it would be hard to forget darkness that foul.

* * *

The Land of Departure was always quiet when Aqua was gone. Ven liked it better when she was there and it wasn't just him and the Master wandering the grounds. If Aqua was there, he was rarely alone for long periods of time and being alone for a long time was something he always wanted to avoid if at all possible.

When Ven was alone, he had a tendency to remember things and sometimes even hear things. Before either could occur, he considered going to Radiant Garden to visit Lea and Isa, but he wanted to wait for Aqua and make sure that she returned safely. He needed to be where the Master could let him know immediately if something happened and she needed him. Her safety and wellbeing was much more important than any unpleasant memory he might experience. The painful reminiscence, while unpleasant, would end but he would never forgive himself if something happened to Aqua because he wasn't there for her when she needed him.

She was an excellent Master. She was very talented and more than capable of taking care of herself, but he couldn't help but worry about her. She'd never gone to the Keyblade Graveyard before.

With a heavy sigh, Ven fell onto his bed and folded his arms behind his head.

Maybe he could take a nap. That would probably keep the memories at bay and would keep him from getting stir crazy and ridiculously bored.

" _ **Ventus… Ventus…"**_

The gruff, raspy voice bounced off the walls of his skull the instant his eyes closed, sending shivers down his spine. The blood drained from his face and his heart felt like it was being pulled down into the soles of his feet as his eyes ripped open.

"No. No. Not now!  _Get out of my head_!" Ven cried in desperation, covering his ears as if it would keep him from hearing the eerily familiar voice that reverberated inside his cranium.

He knew very well whom the voice belonged to. This wasn't the first time his brain had been violated by his dark twin, but this was the first time it happened without Aqua being around and he didn't know where the Master was. He would never find a sanctuary in time…

" _ **Fine… I just thought you'd want to know that we've decided to get rid of Aqua. She was such a pain last time and she really has done nothing but get in the way… So we're taking care of her. You don't have to worry about your little mother bossing you around anymore**_."

"Shut up!"

" _ **Better hurry, Ventus, or you'll never see Aqua again."**_

He recognized the haunting words easily. It was the same exact thing  _he_  said to him three years ago, but instead of using Terra as bait, he was using Aqua. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought this was a memory in and of itself, but he  _did_  know better. He knew that this  _wasn't_  a memory and it  _wasn't_  a joke.

Ven didn't answer the contemptible voice inside his head. Instead, he grabbed the Wayfinder in his pocket, leapt off his bed, and ran out of his room.

* * *

It felt like Aqua had been running around this cursed world for days. Time seemed to have no consequence here and everything seemed to look the same. The only difference she could see was that some craters were larger than others and some mountains were higher than others.

Her eyes burned from all the dust and dirt being blown through the contaminated air. She felt disgusting from the layers of dirt and sweat clinging to her skin and she was growing tired. She would have to call it a day soon. There was only so much aimless wandering a person could take. If she had to, she would come back the next day, but only if she and Master Eraqus thought it necessary. Unless she had to, Aqua didn't plan on revisiting this nightmarish place anytime soon.

Just as Aqua was about to adorn her body in armor and mount her glider, she heard a familiar shriek. At first, she thought she was merely imagining it, but it wasn't long before she sensed it as well.

_Unversed._

Her whole body went rigid and her breath snagged in her throat as she slowly turned to confront the monsters she knew were behind her.

There were dozens of them, mainly Floods, Bruisers, and Scrappers, but there were some savage breeds she had never laid eyes on before too. Some were big, some were small, but _all of them_  were hostile.

Rainfell was summoned into her hand and she took an offensive stance as she watched them continually pop and claw their way out of the lifeless earth.

Having no preference, she began striking down the ones nearest her first. She vanquished one after another, but they continued to reproduce. One would fall only to be replaced by two more. They weren't being slain fast enough for her to effectively decrease their numbers.

As she fought the ceaseless hoard, she recalled what Master Yen Sid had informed them of. Terra told him that Xehanort said that Vanitas controlled the Unversed, which meant…

"Come out, you freak!" Aqua shouted, wrenching her Keyblade out of another Unversed.

" _You know, that's not a very nice way to greet someone_."

Aqua's eyes darted around the area until she saw the masked boy, Vanitas, lazily walking through his swarm of Unversed towards her. They cowered around his feet as he heedlessly glided over their forms. It was like he was walking on air. He was bone-chillingly graceful and poised but somehow fierce within his long, powerful strides.

The haze of the dirt-filled wind around them made him look even more like an unsettled apparition, an unnerving ghost from the past. It was as if he walked right out of her memories or slithered out of her nightmares.

He had finally crossed the blurred line between her imagination and the real world, busting through the barriers that contained him strictly within her mind and waltzing right into the present, into a cruel reality.

"I was always under the impression that you were the polite, rational one. I guess I was wrong." Vanitas scoffed.

He was bigger, which didn't bode well for her. He wasn't a pushover when he was fifteen, she didn't want to know what he was capable of now. Physically, Vanitas was a mirror image of Ven, which meant he had grown ever bit as much as he had.

"This is the part where you make some snarky, arrogant remark. Remember?" He folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "Or are you too busy gawking at me to come up with one?"

Aqua's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, strictly business now, are we?" he inquired mischievously.

"I've outgrown the games. I no longer see the point in tossing needless quip back and forth."

"I can tell but, damn, time has  _not_  been good to you. You look like hell. You actually look a little tired. You should try sleeping. It's good for you."

Aqua held her tongue. She refused to be goaded into a frenzy. That was what he wanted. He wanted to get under her skin, get her all worked up so she would get sloppy.

"Oh, that's right." Vanitas chuckled darkly. "You've  _'outgrown the games.'_  That's fine. I've outgrown a lot of things too." He summoned his Keyblade, and she took a step back. "We all have. After all, it _has_  been three years."

Her eyes didn't leave his form as he began taking confident yet ominous steps toward her.

"Want to know something _I've_  outgrown?" he asked when he was arms length away from her.

She dug her feet into the ground and prepared for the struggle she knew was about to occur.

" _You!"_  Vanitas charged.

Grunts erupted from their throats as their Keyblades clashed and ground against one another.

It wasn't until they were a breath apart that she realized how much bigger he was than her. Vanitas loomed over her and attempted to overpower her by using pure strength. His new fighting style almost reminded her of Terra's. Vanitas didn't use to fight this way, but he was assuming that because he was bigger than her now, he could just overpower her.

He was wrong.

Aqua knew how to handle larger, stronger opponents. Terra had practically been her sparing partner her entire life. She was accustomed to battling larger opponents that favored strength and she knew for a fact it took a lot more than sheer strength to defeat an adversary.

Vanitas had underestimated her. Big mistake.

She quickly backed away and gracefully shifted to the side, causing Vanitas to lose his balance and stumble forward. The movement was swift and precise but he recovered instantly and countered.

Vanitas had gained height and girth but had clearly (and unfortunately) not lost any of his impressive speed. He struck again and again and again and all Aqua could do was dodge and block. She was lucky that no one was more nimble than she was and no one (except Ven) was faster. However, he was strictly offensive which made her strictly defensive. If this pattern continued, she would never defeat him.

She was forced to use barriers and magics in order to fight him. Being a mage would prove useful since she couldn't get close enough to him to land effective physical blows.

It was like a dance, a sick, twisted, never-ending dance, one she had almost forgotten all the steps to. Her neglect and carelessness would cost her dearly. She wasn't used to opponents like Vanitas anymore. She would admit it.

"Our little _vacation_  has made you weak!" Vanitas taunted as they continued exchanging blows. "Peace has made you soft! You aren't nearly as tough as you used to be. I shutter to think of how pathetic Ventus must be."

Aqua responded with a Mega Flare to his stomach, damaging him and the hoard of Unversed that loomed around them.

He reeled and groaned in pain but didn't fall. "Uh-oh! Someone doesn't like it when I talk about their sweet, little Ventus!"

Again, she didn't respond with words. She was done talking. She would let Triple Blizzaga tell him how much she didn't like it.

He blocked two of the icy blasts but took the third to through his shoulder.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would think that  _Ventus_ was the one you share a Keychain with," he sneered, rolling his damaged shoulder and lunging at her yet again.

Aqua recoiled emotionally and physically as his words and the hilt of his Keyblade ruthlessly struck her in the stomach.

All the breath in her body made a violent retreat as she absorbed the intense blow. She bowed over in pain, trying to cough and gasp for air at the same time.

As she continued to recoil from the impact, Vanitas began shooting wave upon wave of darkness at her. The darkness clawed at her skin and threatened to rip her apart. It was thick, hot, and overwhelming. It burned her down to her very core. His darkness was so profuse and immense that she didn't even notice that the Unversed had been called forth again. The blows were occurring so quickly and the damage was so ravenous that she couldn't even tell what was hurting her anymore.

Aqua held her damaged abdomen as she cautiously backed away from Vanitas and his onslaught. When she finally broke out of the barrage of darkness and Unversed, she eyed him intently yet cynically.

"That's right. We know about the Keychain." He was clearly pleased with reaction his words caused.

If she could breath properly, she would have asked him how they knew, but then she remembered in one of the reports, Xehanort stated that sometimes, Vanitas could actually feel what Ventus felt.

Continuing to gasp for breath, Aqua back away from Vanitas until she reached the cliff's ledge. Her foot slipped off the edge and she whimpered, struggling to regain her balance.

"It's… _sweet,"_ he spat. "But completely worthless. That shoddy link won't do either of you any good. I mean, look at what it's done to you. Isn't that thing supposed to protect you?  _Obviously,_  it doesn't work."

Her eyes narrowed and she gripped Rainfell's hilt so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Regaining her footing, she charged Vanitas again.

"Hey! Let's have a little experiment!" he jeered even though she had gained the upper hand and he was taking remorseless blows from Rainfell.

_Nothing fazes him...!_

"The legend says that if one of the keys along the Keychain dies, the remaining key will die too." Vanitas was mocking her and Aqua knew if he weren't wearing his helmet, she would see a wolfish grin and flared fangs.

He slung his Keyblade at her relentlessly as his Unversed nipped at her heels. In one swift motion, Aqua cast Glacier to put some distance between herself and her attackers but once the spell dispersed, a scrapped, frost-kissed Vanitas was right on top of her.

His Keyblade fell toward her quickly and Aqua was able to summon a Barrier, but the attack was so strong the Barrier spell dispersed like glass, sending Aqua, Vanitas, and countless Unversed reeling. The sheer force of the hit and the explosion forced her onto her back.

As quickly as she could, she rolled onto all fours and leapt behind a nearby stone pillar to dodge his next attack.

"Or was it that they go completely crazy if their counterpart dies?" His Keyblade stabbed into the rocky column just as it wanted to stab through her. Aqua winced at the unpleasant sound of metal brutally grinding into stone.

"I'm not sure which, but that's what our little experiment is for!" He laughed manically, wrenching his Keyblade out of the pillar she had used as a shield. "Too bad you won't be around to see the result, but when we take care of Eraqus, I'll be sure to tell him to tell you what happened to your precious Terra after you died."

His laughter and mockery came to an abrupt halt as Rainfell harpooned him to the towering boulder.

"That won't be necessary," Aqua said emotionlessly and yanked Rainfell's tip out from between his dark shoulder blades. "By the way, I'm not still hiding behind the rock."

The instant Rainfell left his back he spun around coarsely and sliced his Keyblade right through her stomach.

Aqua wailed and stumbled backwards a few steps before crouching down onto one knee, her Wayfinder falling out of her pocket as she sank to the ground. Instinctively, her hands went to her damaged torso and she felt the warm liquid leaking from her body and caressing the cool skin of her hands.

The diagonal wound across her abdomen was deep. She could feel that long before she began trying to heal herself.

Vanitas chortled darkly one more time before collapsing onto his back where he grew disturbingly still. The instant their master stilled, the Unversed dispersed and became the dust that savagely swirled around the tainted world.

Once Aqua was sure that Vanitas and his Unversed were indeed defeated, all her strength left her and she plummeted face first to the unforgiving ground.

"I've… I've done it…" she breathed, weakly raising her head to ensure Vanitas had not risen. "He's… He's finally finished…"

Her head lobbed over and fell back onto the rugged terrain. Holding her stomach with one hand, she frantically attempted to mend it with Curaga.

"Ven…Terra…you can rest easy." She smiled and closed her eyes.

It was getting dark and it was getting cold. She was going into shock and her restorative spells alone weren't enough for this wound. She couldn't stop the bleeding and she was very tired, but that was okay. If she died, she died in order to protect her friends. She wouldn't die in vain.

Ven and Terra would take care of Xehanort. Now that Vanitas was gone, the χ-blade was no longer a possibility. All they had to do now was put an end to Xehanort and his scheming. They could do it then they would go on to become the amazing Masters that she always knew they could be. They would be heroes and they would live long, happy lives.

Vanitas was wrong. Terra wouldn't die if she did. He wouldn't go crazy without her. She was sure of it. Everything would be fine now.

_Everything will be fine now…_

Her blood stained the golden ground beneath her, mingling with the hardened ground and pouring into the cracks of the uneven terrain as her crimson vital fluid turned maroon against the sand.

With lifeless eyes, she watched the red liquid slowly seep from her body as she casted Curaga upon herself over and over again until her nerves were scraped raw.

Eventually, the pain from the wound in her stomach and the pain of over casting was too much. She hadn't the strength to cast anymore. The wound was finally mending, but she'd lost too much vital fluid and using more magic would only weaken her further and push her to the end faster. At this point, she was doing more harm than good.

Aqua's eyes opened to see that her Wayfinder had been hurled from her pocket during the struggle. It was just out of her reach but she wanted it. She needed it. She needed to say she was sorry.

She crawled on her belly like wounded serpent, leaving a winding trail of crimson in her wake until she was close enough to touch it.

With the last of her strength, she reached out and took the Wayfinder in her trembling hand.

_I'm sorry… Terra… Ven…_

* * *

Terra was positive his glider had _never_  moved slower. It was moving as if it were flying through unbearably thick jelly. At this point, he was debating on whether or not continuing on foot would actually be more beneficial. He was starting to feel as if _he_  could move faster than this glider! However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was the urgency of the situation that was causing him to move so slowly. He could be moving at light speed but it _still_  wouldn't be fast enough for him.

He really hoped he was wrong. He _really_  hoped that his gut was mistaken and that Aqua was fine, that nothing bad had happened to her. Why would he be right? He had never been right about this kind of thing before, not that he had ever  _had_  a vision before.

His dark blue eyes scanned the barren wasteland as they had millions of times before, but instead of searching for a bald man with menacing golden eyes, they searched for a girl with ethereal, blue features.

Terra _really_  hoped he wouldn't find her. Finding her would mean his vision was correct and she was-

No. He couldn't bring himself to think about it. He didn't want to live in a world where she didn't exist. Even if he wasn't as close to her as he use to be, there was still a certain peace and comfort in knowing that she was alive and well  _somewhere,_ that somewhere out there she was smiling and laughing and helping others.

His chest ached. It was as if the mere thought of losing her caused him physical pain, but before he could dwell on the pain anymore, a distant flicker of blue beneath the swirling sandstorm caught his attention.

The ache in his chest turned into full-blown agony.

"No…"

The Keyblade glider nose-dived into the earth and Terra stumbled off the dispersing glider just before it violently crashed into the dry, cracked ground.

"Aqua?!" He ran toward the mound of blue he saw in the distance, his armor dispersing as he sprinted.

It wasn't her. It couldn't be her. Aqua was indestructible. She was a Keyblade Master. She was the responsible one. Nothing could hurt her. Right?!

His heart was pounding ruthlessly inside his ears and his breathing was rough and uneven as it surged in and out of his tight throat.

The closer he got to the immobile form, the more he started thinking that something  _could_  hurt her.

The blue blur began gaining details. It went from looking like a heap of rubble to looking like a person, particularly a girl, a girl he knew really well.

The sandstorm around him raged and he knew it was trying to hold him back, trying to keep him away from her. Instead of getting closer to her, he felt like he was being pushed and pulled farther and farther away.

A frustrated growl erupted from his throat as he forced his way through the twisting, turning mass of sand that seemed bent on inhibiting his movements. He was at war with this forsaken world but it wouldn't win. Nothing would keep him from her, from his friends, from those who meant the most to him.

"Aqua!" he choked, trying to heave the sand he'd inhaled out of his lungs.

Were she conscious, he knew she would have answered. Aqua didn't just ignore people, especially not him. She would have moved, she would have grunted, coughed, spoken,  _something_!

When he finally got close to her, he realized she was lying face down in a pool of her own blood.

"Aqua!" He fell to his knees beside her, his kneecaps scraping against the rough terrain as he clumsily skidded to her side.

Terra gingerly took her in his arms and rolled her onto her back, her head lifelessly lobbing over to the side as she lied limp across his lap in an unnatural way that made his stomach lurch.

"Aqua…" he whispered, barely recognizing the sound of his own voice as he gently shook her. "Aqua, look at me."

She didn't budge. Her eyes were firmly closed and her body inanimate. She was losing blood, lots of it. Looking down, Terra realized that in the short amount of time he had been holding her, he'd gotten covered in her red vital fluid. It was already on his hands and on his clothes.

"Where's it coming from?" Terra shifted Aqua in his arms, trying to find the wound that had rendered her unconscious.

Most of blood was on her shirt around her abdomen. He supposed he could cast Curaga all over her but it wouldn't be as effective if he treated the injury directly. Considering how pale and how bad she looked, he couldn't afford to be ineffective.

"Aqua, wake up! Please!" He shook her once more, gently slapping her blanched cheeks. When she didn't wake, he decided it was time to act. He couldn't wait for her to come to anymore.

Hooking his fingers into the bottom of her shirt, he lifted it and exposed her bloody stomach.

It was one nasty gash that slid in a perfectly horizontal line across her belly. Whoever did this to her, swiped their weapon right through her. It was jagged but straight and much deeper than he'd hoped. She had almost been cut in half.

Instinctively, his hand flattened against her middle over the wound and he began pumping Curaga into her in waves. As he conjured, he could feel where she had tried to heal herself but ultimately failed. He could sense her radiant magic pulsating weakly against his hand like a little heartbeat. He could feel her desperation, her last attempts to save herself before she likely passed out from the strain.

The flesh began mending under his hand but he knew it wouldn't help with the blood loss.

Moving his hand away, he craned his neck to examine her injury. It was still present but it looked a few days old instead of a few hours old. However, Aqua still looked like she had just suffered a crippling injury. He could only hope that none of her vital organs had been permanently marred beyond repair.

He shifted her shirt back down and began casting Curaga over the other wounds that were scattered all over her body. As he did so, he started contemplating what he should do next. Should he take her back to The Land of Departure or should he take her back to Traverse Town with him?

Groaning, Aqua's eyes fluttered open but they were dull and faraway. Her head turned toward him and her vacant eyes narrowed at him as she tried to discern his features.

"T-Terra?" she choked before losing the battle with unconsciousness, her eyes closing and her head crashing into his chest.

With a heavy sigh, he decided it would be best if he took her back to Traverse Town with him. There wasn't anything Master Eraqus could do for her that he couldn't and going back to Traverse Town would keep him from receiving an ' _I told you so'_ from the Master. The Land of Departure was also farther away and she needed immediate attention.

Deciding that going back to Traverse Town would be the best thing for Aqua, he lifted her into his arms bridal style and prepared to mount his glider with her.

Upon tenderly lifting her off the ground, he heard a familiar clink resonating around his foot. Terra's brow furrowed and he shifted Aqua in his arms so he could peer down at the source of the noise.

Looking down, he saw a very familiar star-shaped object at his feet. For a moment, he though it was his own and his hand almost flocked to his pocket until he noticed the blue glimmering beneath the smudges of blood.

The Wayfinder he saw was Aqua's, the same Wayfinder from his vision, in the same exact position. It sent a chill up and down his spine but he decided to come back for it once Aqua was safely on his glider. She wouldn't be happy with him if he left it behind. After all, he knew he would be furious if someone left his behind.

* * *

Panting, Ven scurried through the many districts within Traverse Town.

He needed to find Terra. For some reason, he knew the solution to this problem was Terra. He believed in what the Masters had said even if Terra and Aqua didn't and if Aqua was in trouble, she needed Terra's help. He'd know what to do. He had to. He would find Terra then they would figure out what to do together.

His shoes clicked on the umber cobblestone and his eyes reflected the many colors of the streetlights, lanterns, and signs that inhabited the buzzing city as he ran.

When he finally entered the hotel, he sprinted right to the door that had the number two carved into it. He didn't bother with speaking to the innkeeper or even knocking. He didn't have the time. He could already be too late.

"Terra!" he called as he busted the room. "Terra! I need your help! Aqua is in trouble! Vanitas is-"

As he spoke, he realized he wasn't speaking to Terra. Terra wasn't who was waiting inside this room.

"Terra ain't here, kid." A man in a bright red scarf, black hair, an eye patch, and a sole tawny eye turned to face him. "You  _just_  missed him."

Nearby, in the pale brown chair next to the mahogany table, sat an eerily familiar form. Blue eyes connected with eyes of cold, calculated yellow-orange.

Instinctively, Ven took an apprehensive step back.

"Hello, Ventus," croaked the rough, aged voice, his name rattling and cackling against the man's coarse vocal chords.

"Master Xehanort…"


	5. Chapter 5

It was hard for Terra to ignore the looks he was getting as he carried Aqua through the sleeping districts of Traverse Town. Luckily, there weren't too many people out and about, but he did cross paths with several pedestrians who looked at him like he was a serial killer. He might have to move after this if word got out that he was taking a bloody, unconscious girl back to his hotel room...

"We're almost there, Aqua," he whispered, cradling her closely in his arms and using his back to open the dual doors that led to the hotel.

Once in the hallway, he moved as swiftly and as quietly as he could. He didn't want to draw any more attention to himself. Not only was his behavior highly suspicious, it was risky. He could easily get in trouble and maybe - if someone questioned him enough - accidentally reveal that they were from another world. Breaking that crucial rule wasn't at the top of his list. He had enough failures on his conscience; he didn't want to make revealing that other worlds existed to the population something he would berate himself for later too. However, if that was what it took to save Aqua, then he would gladly and willingly bear it.

When he reached his door, he leaned into it and to his surprise, felt it give. He could have sworn he locked it on his way out.

Slowly and apprehensively, Terra entered the room. He wasn't sure what he would do if someone were actually inside. They would be in even more trouble. Aqua was unconscious and clearly in no position to fight and holding her automatically made him a vulnerable and easy target. He just hoped that no one was in this room with them and that if someone had been here, that they were gone now. At that moment, helping Aqua was his first priority and everything else would have to wait as long as they weren't in immediate danger.

Terra walked to his bed and gently laid Aqua on its surface. Once she was out of his arms, he glanced around the room and inspected every shadow and corner for intruders. Upon finding none, he decided that they were indeed alone and were safe for the time being, which meant he could safely take care of her and treat her injuries. He was still pretty sure someone other than the innkeeper or housemaid had been here. He could sense it but again, solving that mystery wasn't his priority at present.

After successfully dressing Aqua's still mending wounds, Terra pulled up a chair next to her and patiently waited for her to wake up. As he dozed in and out of consciousness, his mind began to wander.

_Who did this to her? Whoever it was, they would have to be exceptional in order to catch Aqua off guard. It would have to be someone like Xehanort or Vanitas..._

He continued to mull everything over and chew on thoughts that did nothing but make him downright uneasy for what seemed like a short eternity, and the longer Aqua laid unconscious, the more he began berating himself for her condition.

This was his fault. If he had just stayed with her instead of running off again… If he would have just listened to the Masters and acknowledged that he  _was_ linked to Aqua... The Keychain was trying to tell him that she needed him but he'd ignored it because he didn't want it. He was supposed to protect her but he didn't. He was stupid, selfish, and stubborn instead.

If she died, it would be because he let her die. If she died, it would be as if he choked the life out of her himself. He was supposed to be there but he wasn't. If he had been, this wouldn't have happened. If she died, he would  _never_ forgive himself and he was pretty sure no one else would forgive him either.

He bowed over and rested his head on the quilted expanse by her side, his hand resting atop hers as he drifted in and out of sleep. He wanted to touch her. It gave him the reassurance that she was still there and her subtle warmth was encouraging. She wasn't as cold as she was when he found her. She wasn't as close to death as she had been before.

Occasionally, he would give her hand a squeeze, hoping that at some point she would squeeze back and come to.

Glancing at his hand on top of hers, he realized he was coated in her blood. It was caked up under and around his nails and smeared on his forearms and probably on several other places he couldn't see. He couldn't bring himself to care though. Being covered in blood was the least of his worries. He would clean up when he had less on his mind.

Peering back at the clock for the millionth time, Terra caught a glimpse of his door and was reminded that there was still the possibility that someone had broken in. It was probably a regular burglar or maybe it was just the maid. Regardless of who it was, it was unlikely that Aqua's attack or attacker was linked to the intrusion—at least, that was what he tried to convince himself. However, the gnawing, foreboding feeling in his gut suggested otherwise.

_Oh, well. If_ **they**   _were here, they're gone now. I'll just put that on my long list of things to worry about later._

His mind was turbulent with many unpleasant thoughts but at least his head wasn't hurting. His headache was gone. Completely. It had vanished the instant he left this very hotel room to go find Aqua, which suggested that it was Keychain related. That would explain why he had a perpetual headache for the past three years but didn't have one when she came to him a few days ago, while he was with her in The Land of Departure, and now. The strain was what caused them. That was the only answer. The Master was right. Ignoring their bond did have consequences.

This Keychain stuff was so bizarre. If just being away from her did that to him, what would happen if she died? Was what he heard in his vision accurate? Would he die or lose his mind if she died while their Keychain existed? He didn't know but he  _did_  know that he didn't want to test the theory.

* * *

_Aqua yelped and crashed to her knees, her hand instinctively latching onto the wound Terra's Keyblade just created in her neck._

_It burned like Fire and stung like Blizzard but neither element had caused the laceration. No, the ruthless steel of Terra's Keyblade, Earthshaker, had created this particular injury._

" _Aqua! I'm so sorry! Are you okay!?"_

_He was in front of her now, his words laced thick with panic. Her ten-year-old mind couldn't decide whether he was worried about her wellbeing or worried about the Master seeing what he'd just done to her._

_They knew this day was inevitable. Ever since his true Keyblade manifested and replaced the wooden one he'd made, she knew it was only a matter of time before it harmed her. Honestly, she was hoping she could clip him before he clipped her, but she wasn't really surprised he got her first. He did have the advantage. His Keyblade had finally materialized and hers hadn't yet, which had made sparring…_ **difficult** _of late._

_Her hand was firmly fastened to her neck, right above her collarbone as she stared holes in the sleek, wooden flooring beneath her. At first, she held it out of reflex but she continued to hold it out of panic. Her hand was growing warmer by the second. The warmth was spreading and it was sticky..._

**Blood.**

_It seeped between her fingers and spilled onto the ground below her. One, two drops at first but the drops were quickly forming a tiny lopsided pool on the floor. The injury must have been worse than she thought. He must have hit a vein or artery in her neck._

_Aqua had been injured before. Pain and wounds were nothing new, but she had never been hurt like_ **this** _. The floor was stained red and it paralyzed her with fear when she needed to be healing herself, but she couldn't stop staring. There was just so much of it…_

" _Let me see," Terra said softly yet sternly._

_Her eyes didn't leave the crimson puddle on the ground and she was starting to feel the sticky substance soaking the collar of her shirt. She was shocked so much blood was coming out of her._

_His hand covered hers and proceeded to gingerly pull it away from the wound so he could examine it. She could imagine his painful grimace so she didn't look. She didn't want to know how bad it was._

_Before she could dwell on the pain or fear anymore, his hand was replacing hers on her neck._

_She swallowed hard against his hand and it stung, like having a raw, sore throat and it startled her that something so simple hurt so much. She wasn't going to cry though. As much as it hurt and as scared as she was, she refused to cry._

_Terra's hand flattened against her neck and it was warm but suddenly turned icy hot. She swallowed again but it didn't hurt as much as it did before. That was when she realized he was healing her._

_Her eyes went wide and she finally lifted her face to regard him. He was staring intently at her injury, his expression a mixture of worry, concentration, and fear._

_The sensation of Cure soothed the stinging and the burning until it barely hurt at all anymore._

_Timidly and slowly, he detached his hand from the site of injury to inspect it. She watched his hand pull away and noticed that it too was now coated with red fluid._

_Terra seized her chin before angling it up and away._

" _Does it hurt?"_

" _A little…" she managed to croak out. She was relieved to hear that her voice still sounded like her own._

" _Aqua… I am_ **so**   _sorry…" he apologized shakily, his eyes locked on hers._

" _What did you do?" called a familiar voice that caused Terra to wince and yank his hand away from her as if burned by her skin. It seemed like Master Eraqus was asking him that particular question more and more recently…_

_Aqua and Terra quickly looked at their Master before gazing back at each other._

_Master Eraqus blazed to Aqua's side, his eyes wandering over her frantically as he tried to see the source of the all blood he was seeing. It was on her neck, her hand, her shirt, the floor, and even on Terra's hands._

" _N-Nothing! I didn't… I didn't mean to… I-I…"_

" _Were you using Earthshaker?" Eraqus demanded, his eyes leaving Aqua momentarily to look down at Terra sternly._

_They both knew he wasn't supposed to use Earthshaker when sparring with her unless given permission. Until she obtained her weapon as well, they were to continue sparring with wooden weapons or to practice adjacently._

" _Y—"_

" _It's okay, Master," Aqua interrupted. "Terra healed me. See?" She forced a smile, pointing to where the wound once slept. She was still trembling but for Terra's sake, she really hoped the Master wouldn't notice._

_Eraqus's grey eyes narrowed and he inspected the mark on her neck. He pressed his fingers to the spot and she couldn't keep herself from grimacing._

" _Does it hurt?" he inquired flatly._

" _A little. It's just kind of…tender," she replied._

_The Master sighed and shook his head. "Come. Let's dress your wound and get you two cleaned up."_

_Master Eraqus began exiting the throne room and heading to the infirmary. Silently, Aqua and Terra exchanged knowing glances before following him out._

" _I'm really sorry… I never meant to hurt you. It was an accident…" Terra whispered as he walked closely at her side._

_Aqua smiled up at him, ignoring his pessimism. "You're a good healer."_

_Terra's face lit up and his posture straightened. "Really?"_

* * *

The room was spinning when she finally managed to crack her eyes open. Immediately, she closed them again to put an end to the ruthless churning. She would rather be blind than watch everything swarm around like that. She would just rely on her other senses instead.

A clock was ticking nearby and it suggested that she was in a room, which didn't make sense considering she was in the Keyblade Graveyard last time she checked—at least that was where she thought she was. Maybe she dreamt it all up.

There was a pressure on her hand. It was warm and familiar enough that she instinctively squeezed it to get a better impression of it. It was another hand and it was larger than hers, calloused yet soft…

Apprehensively, one of Aqua's eyes cracked open again. The room was merely teetering back and forth instead of spinning now and she felt like she could handle that. Her other eye opened and she was finally able to take in her surroundings a bit more.

Her vision was filled with blurry shades of yellow and green. The walls were yellow, the floor was yellow, and even the covers she was laying on were yellow, but the walling closer to the ceiling and the ticking clock she heard earlier was green. Not too far away was a round, brown table equipped with a pale brown chair.

Suddenly, everything was very familiar: the mahogany furniture, the light fixture overhead, the clock, and even the table. She had been here before. This was Terra's hotel room in Traverse Town.

By the mahogany bedside table that doubled as her blue Wayfinder's resting place, was the missing chair that had been by the table the last time she was here, only this time, someone was sitting in it. They had midnight blue eyes, tan skin, and their hardened features were framed by dark brown hair.

She would recognize that head of hair anywhere although it was a little bit longer and not as unruly as it used to be.

"Hey," he spoke softly after blinking the sleep in his eyes away. "How are you feeling?"

Her brow furrowed and she looked at him skeptically.

_Why is he asking me such a strange question? Wait…_

Her hands instinctively wandered to her tingling stomach and were met by the rugged texture of medical bindings instead of the torn cloth of her shirt she'd been expecting. Instantly, she remembered what had happened to her even if she was still a bit fuzzy on how she got in this room with Terra.

"Where is he?" Aqua shot upright.

"Where's who?" he threw back before seizing her shoulders and trying to get her to lie back down.

"Vanitas," she stated matter-of-factly and seriously considered fighting his pushing. She would have were she not so dizzy.

Terra's pupil's dilated and his face paled. " _Vanitas?_  So he  _was_  the one who did this to you. I was afraid of that..."

"Didn't you see him?" she asked, attempting to sit upright once more.

"Aqua," he said adamantly without releasing her shoulders. "Please, lay back down."

Their eyes met and she looked at him stubbornly for a long moment before surrendering.

"Thank you," he said, exasperated. "And no" – he ran a hand down his face – "I didn't see him. You were the only thing I saw for miles."

Aqua grabbed fistfuls of her hair in vexation. "No…! He was there. I defeated him. I thought it was over…"

"I believe you, but he wasn't there when I found you."

Confused, Aqua released her hair and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "How did you know? How did you know I'd been hurt?"

Terra's brow furrowed and his face flushed a bit. "I just knew."

"Oh," she breathed. "Well…thank you."

Her hands gravitated to her middle again and she slowly began to recognize the sensation. It was the sensation she had dreamt about but instead of feeling it on her neck, it was on her stomach. He had healed her.

With the realization she had been healed, came the realization that he had also dressed her wounds. Her shirt had been removed and her entire abdomen was securely bound by medical bindings. Her chest hurt and she wasn't sure if it was due to the blood loss or the embarrassment that Terra had to dress her wounds in such a way. She knew it was standard procedure to wrap the entire abdomen after an injury like the one she'd experienced to reduce movement and accelerate recovery but that didn't make any of it less embarrassing.

As subtly as she could, she tried to find something to disappear under.

Yes, they were both adults now and their relationship was strictly platonic and she should be mature and professional about all this, but she couldn't keep herself from going rosy.

"H-How bad was it?" she rasped, trying not to choke on her embarrassment.

"It was a nasty cut. It took several treatments before it mended completely. Actually…I should check it again—"

"No!" she yelped and protectively covered her stomach. "I-I can do it."

Again, she knew he was right. Because of the healing, the magic, and their advanced recovery rate, things had to be checked more often, severe wounds had to be dressed more frequently…but again, that didn't make the current situation less awkward or humiliating. She would forever be grateful to him for aiding her, but she still felt that he had seen enough of her to last a lifetime even if he merely did what he had to.

"You have the strength to?" he challenged passively, his tone calm and polite.

_No,_ she answered privately.

She was confused and dizzy and her chest hurt and she was anxious and in no condition to cast  _anything_  but she didn't want him fiddling around her bare waistline any more.

"Not really," she replied honestly. "But it's okay. It can wait."

Terra shook his head and began reaching for the hem of the bindings anyway.

"Terra…don't…" she whimpered and fastened her hands over her stomach.

"Why not? Don't you want to get better?"

"Yes, but…"

Aqua realized she was being childish and normally, she was  _very_  mature but this particular situation just had her ten different kinds of uncomfortable. This might not embarrass him, but it certainly embarrassed her. He might be okay or even... _experienced_  with seeing women in such a way but she wasn't used to being exposed to someone like that _at all_ , even if he was just checking her stomach. Not to mention, she was  _still_  trying to come to terms with the fact that he had removed her shirt and wrapped her entirety of her waist while she was unconscious.

"Just trust me," he groused before shifting her hands away.

_He makes it sound so_  easy…

Defeated, she fell to her back and covered her eyes with her arms and tried to think of _anything_  but the fact that she was in her bra while Terra was unwrapping the bindings around her stomach and exposing her.

"Do… Do you remember when you cut my neck?" she asked, her voice trembling almost as much as her stomach was.

"When we were kids?"

"Mm."

"Of course I do. That was the first time I really hurt you."

She could tell he was more absorbed in working on her injury than he was listening to her ramble about the past. However, she didn't miss the implications in his answer. He'd hinted that it was the first, but not the last time he'd hurt her. It was true but it still hurt to hear him say it.

His warm hands ghosted over her abdomen as he applied an Elixir to her shuddering skin and eventually the wrappings. She shivered and her face flinched as if she were being tortured. Actually, she would rather  _be_  tortured- at least torture wasn't embarrassing.

"You healed me afterwards." Aqua swallowed so hard it hurt. "It barely even left a scar."

Terra chuckled dryly and she felt him gently running Curaga over her belly. "Yeah, but Master Eraqus was furious. I got a good, long lecture about self-control and abusing my strength after that one."

Aqua remembered. Master Eraqus frequently chided him on understanding his own strength after obtaining Earthshaker. Terra  _always_  struggled with understanding his own strength, with his lust for power…

' _If I could have my way, I would name you Master in a second. But, how can I, when you are so obsessed with power?'_

"I got one for provoking you and accepting the challenge. You didn't really pressure me into that fight," she recalled as she mercilessly stared holes in the ceiling. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to fight with unfair odds. I wanted to prove I could beat you regardless. I-I always felt at a bit of a disadvantage…"

Terra scoffed. "Why?"

"You were older, stronger, and a boy. By general rule you already had the upper hand."

"Yeah. A lot of good all that did me," he said under his breath and she felt him winding the wrappings around her middle again.

"Stop doing that!" She shot upright and glared at him. After sitting up, she realized she'd done so much too quickly and was suddenly whimpering and holding her sore abdomen.

Shocked by her outburst, Terra reeled a bit but helped her sit up regardless. She could see that he was bracing himself for whatever she was going to say but couldn't bring himself to not help her either.

"Stop doing what?"

"The brooding and the feeling sorry for yourself and the acting like you are the worst person alive," she answered tersely when the pain subsided enough for her to speak. Yes, the tonics and the magic had helped a lot, but she was still  _really_ sore.

Terra sighed and merely nodded. "I'll stop if you'll lie down and rest."

"I can't. I have to go back to The Land of Departure. Ven and the Master will be worried and I have to tell them that I saw Vanitas…" she said with a grimace as she attempted to shift her way off the bed. "They need to know that he and Xehanort are on the move again. They'll be after Ven or they could already have him. He's in danger and—"

"Aqua," Terra scolded lowly and barricaded her way to the door with his body, causing her to weakly collapse into his form. "Ven is eighteen and perfectly capable of taking care of himself. I guarantee you he is in better condition than you are. So please, stop worrying so much and rest. We'll go back to The Land of Departure first thing in the morning. I promise."

"I'm  _fine_ ," she objected politely, looking up at him with a zesty, animated smile in an attempt to prove her point. However, judging by Terra's hard expression, he wasn't buying it. "Really. We can go back tonight."

"I know you're a Keyblade Master and you heal faster than most people, maybe even faster than me, but you  _aren't_  immortal and you need to take a moment to recuperate," he argued, adamant, firmly seizing her arms as he did so.

Aqua's act fell and so did her smile. "You aren't going to let me leave until tomorrow, are you?"

"Nope," he replied arrogantly with a smirk as he released her arms and proceeded to fold them over his broad chest. "If you want out of this room, you're going to have to go through me."

Her lips curled into a playful sneer. "Is that a challenge?"

Terra looked like he might laugh. He didn't of course.

"I don't think it would be much of a challenge. Didn't we just talk about what happened the last time you provoked me when you were at a disadvantage?" He reached out and brushed the white mark on her neck with his thumb for emphasis.

His touch was like piping hot electricity. The sensation churned through her veins like Thunder but burned her skin like Fire before settling in her stomach in a cumbersome wad that sat heavy in her insides.

"Fine. You win, but we're leaving first thing in the morning!" she retorted, digging a finger in his chest as she spoke.

"Deal." Terra grinned as he slipped his hand off her neck and Aqua wrestled with the disappointment and emptiness she felt when his touch left her.

With a heavy sigh, she slowly lowered herself back onto the bed and realized how weak and dizzy she still was. Perhaps Terra knew her better than she thought he did. Perhaps she wasn't giving him enough credit.

She was rapidly losing her battle with consciousness. She would have to surrender soon. Terra was right. She wasn't ready to make the trip back to The Land of Departure now that her adrenaline rush had left her.

"Where will you sleep?" She yawned and lied back down.

"Where I've been sleeping – in this chair." Terra collapsed into said chair he had positioned right by the bed.

"T-That's not good for your back." Her eyes were fluttering and growing as heavy as lead.

"I'll be all right. Don't worry about me."

Aqua shifted onto her side so she could face him. "You sure?"

"You worry too much."

"Thank you, Terra," she whispered, incoherent.

"You're welcome," he whispered in response just before she finally succumbed to sleep, a kind of peaceful sleep that had eluded her for three years.

* * *

"Master Eraqus?!" Aqua shouted as she entered the castle of ivory and gold. "Ven?!"

Silence.

"Ven?!" she called again and proceeded to sprint through the throne room, checking every nook and cranny for either the Master or Ven.

"Take it easy," Terra chided lowly, earning him a quick glare from her.

He had continued to chastise her although she had told him all morning that she felt much better. She wasn't nearly as sore or as stiff. Granted, she didn't feel like she could do anything strenuous like battling Vanitas again, but she still felt like Terra was overreacting. She was actually starting to think that her little incident with Vanitas had actually worried him.

"Ven!" she cried yet again.

_"Aqua?"_  the Master's voice boomed throughout the space.

"Master" – Aqua rushed toward him – "where's Ventus?"

Master Eraqus looked at her skeptically. "Isn't he with you?"

All the color drained from her face.

"Aqua, what's wrong? Where's Ventus?"

"I found Vanitas in the Keyblade Graveyard," she declared solemnly. "I defeated him but I was injured and lost consciousness after the battle. Thankfully, Terra found me but when he did, Vanitas was gone. It was as if he was never there…"

"Vanitas has returned? What of Master Xehanort? Was he with him?" Master Eraqus all but demanded. Just as she feared, he was becoming more frantic by the moment and honestly, so was she.

Aqua shook her head. "Xehanort wasn't with him and Vanitas didn't give any indication to where he might be. I'm so sorry, Master. I failed you."

In hindsight, she should have baited Vanitas into telling her where Xehanort was. She could have done it but at the time, her primary objective was to defeat Vanitas and protect Ven.

"They cannot find Ventus. They can't get to him before you do. You must find him!"

Aqua was experiencing extreme déjà vu. Those words were so much like the ones he'd spoken the first time Ven left home in order to follow Terra.

* * *

Aqua had continued to discuss matters with Master Eraqus but after a point, Terra couldn't listen anymore. So, in a bit of a daze, he had wandered further into his childhood home so they could have their privacy.

It had been years since he had walked through this part of their fortress. When he returned with Aqua a few days ago, he had only ventured to the throne room. He didn't journey to the homey wing where their rooms resided until now, but everything was almost _just_  as he remembered it; the color of the walls and the floor, the glimmer of the oversized windows, and even the little things like the creaks or cracks in some of the floorboards.

Terra didn't dare venture to his room but he did go into Ven's, hoping that by some miracle he was merely sleeping within and just hadn't heard Aqua calling for him.

He instantly noticed how different this room looked now. Unlike the hallways, foyers, and corridors, Ven's room  _had_ changed. Ven had grown up and his room's state only proceeded to verify that fact.

Terra leisurely walked around the room and noticed how the childish things were gone and replaced by more mature decorations and trinkets. It looked more like his did before he left and the only childish thing left within the space was the toy Keyblade he had given him years ago. His old, wooden Keyblade rested silently in the corner of the room, worn and used but not broken.

Slowly, he knelt in front of the makeshift Keyblade and traced his fingertips along the frayed edges of the hilt where he had carved his name another lifetime ago.

"Ven… I'm so sorry… I should've… I should've just sucked up my pride and come home. This is all my fault. Everything… All of it... None of this would've happened if I'd just come home when Xehanort disappeared, if I would have listened to my instincts instead of Xehanort. I was the one who messed up but I bet you sat here wondering why I didn't come back after the threat was gone. I bet you sat here trying to figure out what it was that you'd done wrong…"

Terra sank further into the ground and buried his face in his hands in pure, undiluted frustration. It was the frustration he had felt toward himself many times before, the guilt that churned in his entrails, the remorse he wrestled with daily, and the conflict he bickered with constantly. All of it consumed him as his hands clawed at the edges of his face in an attempt to hide the shame and cope with the vexation.

_"I told him it was my fault you didn't come back."_

Terra tensed and turned around to see Aqua standing elegantly in the doorway. Her hands were folded out in front of her but the look on her face was so familiar. It mirrored and rivaled the emotions that he too was wrestling with at that very moment.

"Why would it have been your fault?" he asked, not rising from his kneeling position on the floor.

Aqua took in a deep breath. "Because, I pushed you away and we didn't exactly make it easy for you to come home."

"No. You just did what you thought you were supposed to do. You were just following the Master's orders."

"That doesn't mean that it was necessarily the right thing to do or that it wouldn't hurt you. We doubted you and we shouldn't have. _I_  shouldn't have…"

"But you were right to. Remember?" he interrupted. "I did need to be watched. Like I said before, I was leading us right into oblivion."

"Regardless, that doesn't make what I did any better. I still treated you unfairly…" she whispered, her eyes suddenly glued to the floor.

"Are you talking about what happened in Radiant Garden?" he probed, watching her intently. This conversation seemed a lot like the one they had on the Summit a few days ago. They seemed fixated on it.

"Partly," she replied with a shrug. "I guess I'm talking about anything and everything that happened after the Mark of Mastery Exam…"

He could tell by her posture and by her tone that she was – and had been – beating herself up about how she'd treated him, about how they had left things three years ago, about  _everything._

Terra would be lying if he said that it hadn't been hard, that he hadn't thought about it a lot during the last three years of his life but he didn't hate her for it. He understood now but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. The fact that they hadn't trusted him would always sting.

"We should get going." He rose to his feet and turned to face her.

Aqua's expression changed from one of remorse to one of confusion.

"Excuse me?" she squeaked, her eyes wide.

"You're going to look for Ven, right?"

"Well, yes…" she replied, her eyes still mystified and her tone uncertain. "But I didn't think that you would be going with me. I know how much your independence and being on your own means to you…"

"My independence was a joke. For a long time, I thought it was what I wanted but I slowly began to realize it really wasn't. I wanted to be more independent but at the end of the day…" Terra couldn't bring himself to admit to her how much he had missed them. He had said more than he ever meant to already but she just had that effect on him. She always made him feel like he could tell her anything. Aqua could crack him open like an egg without even lifting a finger.

"Anyway," he snapped, shaking his head as if he could rub out the thoughts bubbling around in his skull. "Ven would want us to work together and we have a better chance of finding him that way too."

Terra was also really starting to think there might be something to this… _thing_  between them. The Keychain had demanded his respect. He had seen and felt the repercussions and he refused let his neglect of it harm anyone again if he had the power to stop it. Besides, Ven needed them, _both_  of them. He made the mistake of going off on his own before and turned out, that was exactly what Xehanort wanted. He refused to make the same mistakes twice, especially now that Xehanort and his underlings were manifesting in the realm of light again.

"Oh," she breathed.

"Are you disappointed?"

"No." She shook her head. "No, it isn't that. I'm just…surprised."

"We should get going. The sooner we find Ven, the better," he said with steely resolve as he began making his way toward the door.

"Right," she concurred, quickly following him out of the room.

This would be an adjustment for both of them. It had been a long time since they had been a team but Terra knew this was the best course of action. Everything inside of him was telling him to go with her, so he would. Together, they could find Ven and hopefully, all of them could finally put an end to this madness.


	6. Chapter 6

Initially, Aqua wanted to go to either Disney Town to see Mickey or to Radiant Garden to talk to Lea and Isa. She planned on going to both places but in no particular order since she was certain that surely one of those worlds could give them a clue to where Ven was. That was her plan until they talked to the Master. He was convinced that they should speak with Master Yen Sid before they did anything else.

In hindsight, his plan had been much better than hers. Seeing Yen Sid first certainly made more sense considering his knowledge and wisdom. So, Aqua complied while Terra seemed content to just follow her lead.

The tower stood as it always did, tall and crooked amongst the glittering stars. Seas of bright, glowing orange warded off the presence of perpetual night, coloring the sky a much paler hue of black. The strange ocean reflected up the horizon and landscape until the heavens were more dark blue than black but that didn't keep the stars from shining brightly overhead.

She could never determine if it was early morning or late evening here. As a traveler and Keyblade Master, she was used to times and seasons varying depending on the worlds she visited but this one was so unusual she could never quite pinpoint the correct hour. Was the sun rising or setting over the large, green, mossy mountains that jutted out of the bizarre orange swell?

"What time do you think it is here?" Aqua asked.

Terra had been unnaturally quiet since they left The Land of Departure. Aqua certainly wasn't a super talkative individual herself, (that honor went to Ven) but Terra's noiselessness did bother her. Perhaps what bothered her wasn't the silence or the lack of conversation itself but the fact that it was unlike him. Terra wasn't as talkative as Ven—who could strike up a conversation with just about anyone or anything—but he certainly wasn't what she would call shy or quiet.

He shrugged. "Twilight? Late evening?"

She nodded and began her trek up the creamy steps of the tower, accepting that her attempt at conversation had failed. Terra was simply uninterested and detached although he had agreed they should search for Ven as a team. He was uncertain, as he seemed to be with everything lately, hesitant to the point of withdrawal and inactivity. He seemed so afraid of failing or messing up again that he barely did anything.

Terra was fractured. She could see that, feel it even but he had to get his confidence back if they were going to make a good team.

The trip up the seemingly endless flights of stairs was like their trip to the world itself: quiet. Terra followed closely on her heels as she led the way. Sometimes she would feel his eyes boring into her back and she would look over her shoulder at him to give him a reassuring smile. His features would soften and he would almost smile but not quite.

Halfway up, Aqua slowed. She placed her hands on her back and stretched her sore torso.

She was a lot better. Terra had done a magnificent job of healing her and she had continued to work on the injury herself but Vanitas had really done a number on her waist.

"How is it?" Terra had caught up to her and was eyeing her closely.

Aqua grimaced. She really hoped he wouldn't notice that it was pain that had slowed her down but he'd seen through her ruse.

"Better. A lot better but I'm still kind of sore," she admitted.

"Need me to look at it?"

"No." Aqua's brow furrowed and she shook her head, adamant. "That's not necessary. I can look at it later. Thank you though."

He nodded and with that, he slipped back into muteness, nothing changing except this time he took the lead.

Aqua sighed and for a moment, wished she'd let him look at her injury. It might've kept him from slipping back into this despondent mood a bit longer.

Finally, they reached the final tier and Master Yen Sid's door. Aqua took it upon herself to knock when Terra merely stood at the entrance.

" _Enter."_

They did as commanded and saw the old sorcerer calmly waiting inside. As expected, he sat before a wall of large windows that mimicked the shapes and forms of a crescent moon and stars. His large, green chair was so tall it towered far over his head, threatening to scrape the ceiling. The candle atop the strange skull on his desk was lit, suggesting he was likely trying to read from the massive book in front of him before they had intruded.

"Master Yen Sid." Aqua bowed, and as if attached to her by invisible strings, Terra followed suit and bowed at well.

Yen Sid's eyes brightened and his mouth twitched, his imitation of a smile. "Terra, Aqua."

"We're terribly sorry to intrude but something has happened…" Aqua began, casting Terra a quick glance as they approached the desk. "Vanitas has returned and Ven is missing."

Master Yen Sid's expression held a flash of surprise before it turned hard again.

"I went to the Keyblade Graveyard to search for Xehanort. I didn't find him but I stumbled upon Vanitas. We fought and I won but I was injured. I passed out and when I came to, I was with Terra and he informed me that Vanitas was gone. And now Ven is missing, too, which is why we're here. We thought maybe you could help us and give us some advice on where to look and what to do now…"

Yen Sid sighed and leaned back into his chair. "If Vanitas is back, that means Xehanort is probably back as well. It is unlikely that Vanitas would act unless given orders to do so."

"That's what I'm afraid of. What if Vanitas was distracting me so Xehanort could get his hands on Ven…?"

"I wouldn't put such plotting beyond Xehanort. After all, he has had three years to dwell on all of this and carefully calculate his next move. However, Ventus is no pushover and he knows the dangers now as we all do. Xehanort has more obstacles to overcome this time as well. We know of the overall goal of his plans, which does give us some advantage but we must find Ventus so Xehanort cannot forge the χ-blade." Yen Sid rose to his feet and walked to the large, half-moon shaped window.

"I thought we should talk to Mickey and Ven's friends in Radiant Garden before we assume the worst… We were going to go there as soon as we realized Ven was missing but the Master thought it would be wise for us to seek your counsel first," Aqua said calmly, professionally.

The sorcerer nodded. "Consulting Mickey and his friends would be a wise first step. I would be happy to contact him for you so that the two of you may start your search in Radiant Garden. After that, if you still have not found him, we will have to take a more drastic course of action since then it would be safe to assume he is in danger and likely with Xehanort, but that will be hard to do. Finding him would then become like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Just like it was the first time…" Aqua sighed and massaged her eyes. She felt defeated and they hadn't even really started yet. "It's like it is happening all over again…"

"We don't know that." Terra placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her although her thoughts and concerns were probably identical to his. "Let's not assume the worst. Master Yen Sid is right. Ven isn't a kid anymore. He can take care of himself."

She brought her hands to her mouth as if she were praying. "Yes, but that doesn't make me feel any better. Both Ven and Vanitas are bigger now. I've watched Ven grow as a wielder and as a man. He is stronger than he has ever been although the Master and I have been trying for years to somewhat curb his growth since the χ-blade is still a possibility. Fighting Vanitas reminded me of why we did that, as cruel as it was. It was to keep the χ-blade's power at bay. Just imagine how powerful it would be now if they merged… They are twice the wielders they were before. Not only would it be stronger, but the individual wielding it would be, too."

"Ven won't let that happen. He knows as well as you do how dangerous that weapon is, how important it is that it not come into existence," Terra insisted. "He won't do anything that would endanger the worlds or the balance."

She nodded. "You're right. I'm jumping to conclusions, but I'm just…scared."

Aqua admitting she was scared was like hearing Ven say he _wanted_  to take a bath. Such things just didn't happen. Fear was something that was and always would be foreign on Aqua, but when she said she was scared, she didn't mean that she was scared personally. She was scared for Ven, for the worlds she protected, for those who could be in danger because she couldn't stop Xehanort three years ago.

"I will do all I can to help while you venture out to look for Ven physically," Yen Sid said calmly. "If I hear or learn anything that might be of some help, I will let you and Master Eraqus know immediately. First, before you head out, I think you and Terra should consult one of my books."

Terra and Aqua exchanged glances while Yen Sid began walking towards the dual doors on the other side of the room. He opened the doors and motioned for the duo to follow him. They did as instructed, Terra doing so more begrudgingly than Aqua.

Master Yen Sid pulled out a massive book from a nearby bookshelf. It was blue with spiraling gold trim and Aqua could smell it's musty, old pages even though she had yet to open it.

"I believe this book contains material that may be helpful to you on your journey."

"What exactly are we looking for?" Terra asked and Aqua was glad he did so. It was a good question, one she was ashamed she hadn't asked herself.

"You'll know it when you find it," he replied ominously before he began strolling out of the room.

"I-I appreciate the offer but I'm not sure we have time for—" Aqua began but he was already gone, leaving them alone with the enormous book filled with endless amounts of knowledge.

Terra sighed and placed his hands on his hips, looking around the room, likely looking for an escape.

"He probably isn't going to let us leave until we at least pretend to look over this stuff." Aqua took a seat in one of the empty chairs at the table and prepared to sift through it.

Terra nodded and eventually plopped into the seat beside her. He already appeared bored and she could tell that the years had done nothing for his patience.

When they were younger, when the Master gave them assignments, they would often go to the library and study together. Terra would put forth some effort initially but she would end up doing most of the work while he would merely watch her, wooden Keyblade firmly in hand.

Much like when they were younger, Aqua had her nose in the book and Terra merely peered over her shoulder to gaze at the pages occasionally. Most of the time, he simply sat there with his arms folded over his chest, staring out at nothing, at one of the mirrors in the room, or staring at her. After a while, he would shift positions or get out of his seat altogether, flop onto the floor, and lie on his back.

Presently, he was doing a lot of the latter.

Aqua glanced over her shoulder at him. "You making it okay?"

"Mm," he mumbled. "My back got tired. Again."

Aqua chuckled. "Sitting in a chair is tough."

Terra stared holes into the ceiling but every now and then, she'd feel his eyes on her, which made focusing on the books a little harder. However, she resolved to be patient and search diligently for information she may or may not find.

For a long time, she didn't find anything that seemed helpful. She checked the pages Yen Sid had marked or written on but none of it seemed significant until she found a section on Keychains. Undoubtedly, that was why he'd given them this particular book before they began their search.

There was a whole history within those pages. It even gave examples. There was an example involving two brothers. Their Keychain lasted until they disposed of an emperor who was trying to find a way to take over all worlds by force.

Meanwhile, some of the documentation of Keychains even dated back to the Keyblade War. One of which was romantic. It was between two people who had never met each other prior to the birth of their Keychain. During the war, the male counterpart of the chain had saved the female's life. It said that the Keychain came to life the instant he touched her in order to heal her but they didn't actually fall in love until later or perhaps they just didn't realize it until later. They married but the man was killed in the war shortly after. It was documented that his wife lost her mind instantly in her grief and lied next to him on the ground until she was slain too.

Aqua visibly grimaced at that.

"Aqua?" Terra's hand found her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Sensing her distress, he had gotten up and back into his chair but she had been so absorbed in what she was reading, she didn't notice.

"I just…read something unpleasant. I'm fine."

"What was it?" he asked timidly.

"Just some stuff about Keychains and the Keyblade War. Some of it is hard to read," she said, turning the page.

Terra nodded his understanding but didn't pry further.

Diving back in, Aqua mostly read echoes of what Master Eraqus had already told them. It said that each Keychain was different depending on the bond, those involved, and sometimes, what already existed between counterparts. The extent of the bond depended on the relationship in one form or another. It could enhance abilities and even give birth to new (usually temporary) abilities like being able to read the mind of a counterpart if one concentrated enough or if another  _wanted_  their thoughts to be heard. Keychains supposedly heightened whatever senses or powers one already possessed. There were even reports that said that a key could attract a counterpart or counterparts who would then act as a form of guardian.

There were lots of theories and inconsistencies but almost all accounts described the bond as a benefit, a gift bestowed upon peacekeepers to save one or many, to protect one or protect all. It was a power that could be unlocked by the keys themselves by tapping into the connections and links they had with other people's hearts.

_I guess that means we are capable of creating this bond ourselves. Does that mean that I could have done this? No. I would have been conscious of it._

The only thing that really surprised her in the book was the content stating that wielders could feel when/if the bond left them. There were journal entries where individuals wrote about feeling a disconnect instantly. Some even went into depression afterwards. Once the alleged threat was gone and balance was restored, the unnatural element of the bond retreated as well. The natural links made within the relationship remained, but that particular link was gone forever.

Aqua had the distinct feeling that what she and Terra had was meant to bring about the end to this conflict with Xehanort. Fate knew that they would be separated from Ven and that they would need this bond to put an end to this struggle. That was their destiny. They were bound so that they could defeat Xehanort with the bonds added power and when they managed to do that, their Keychain would no longer exist.

Feeling drained, she closed the book and pushed it towards Terra. Briefly, he glanced at the marked pages and some of Yen Sid's notes again as if to get a summary or hit some of the highlights.

"Do you have any questions?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Not really."

That was code for:  _Yeah, I've got a lot of questions but neither of you are capable of answering them._

Assuming that they were pretty much done here, Aqua picked up the book and made her way for the door. Terra followed her out of the room and back to Master Yen Sid's desk.

As gently as possible, she placed the massive book back onto his desk. The sorcerer's dull eyes locked onto the book for a moment before they lazily lifted and focused on them.

"Did you find anything of interest in the book?"

"Not particularly…" she replied.

Master Yen Sid nodded as if he were mentally noting something, like he caught something she didn't. She thought he would explain but instead he proceeded to say: "You best be on your way. Master Eraqus and I will act as a rendezvous point for you, Mickey, and the others. After you go to Radiant Garden, let us know what you find. Meanwhile, I will inform Mickey of our situation and if necessary, I will send him to the Keyblade Graveyard but I hope it doesn't come to that."

* * *

" _What do you mean you didn't kill her?!"_

Ven's eyes slowly opened but the haze was too thick, his eyes were too muddled. He couldn't see where he was or who was talking. His head hurt, the sound of gushing water loud in his ears and the ground he lied upon was cold and sleek and…orange?

" _Just what I said. I didn't kill her. The oaf showed up just as I was about to finish her off and I was in no condition to fight him after—"_

" _After Aqua whooped your ass!"_  a third voice mused and began braying with unhinged laughter.

" _You try killing her then! I'd love to watch her take you down a few notches!"_

" _As if!"_

"Do not patronize Braig, Vanitas. He did his job," Xehanort's rattling voice chided and Ven became painfully aware of the voices around him. "But it doesn't matter. Aqua will get what is coming to her soon enough. I would have rather had her out of the way before she could cause any more problems, but I am not beyond making adjustments."

"Want us to go finish her off?" Braig offered confidently, cocking his arrowgun in his hand.

Xehanort pondered this for a moment, folding his hands behind his arched back. "No."

"No?" Braig reeled. "Why the hell not? She's been nothing but a wrench in the works since the very beginning!"

"Yes, but if what Vanitas says is true, she is with Terra now and that is a problem. I have no doubts you and Vanitas could take her alone but not with Terra." Xehanort shook his head.

Vanitas scoffed. Clearly, he begged to differ but refrained from arguing with his master.

"However, this could still be used to our advantage. Our new plan will simply be our old plan. Aqua will be disposed of but we will wait for the right time to do so. Her death will be the final blow to Terra's resolve then, my vessel will be ready."

"A-Aqua? Terra?" Ven called, his voice hoarse and weak.

The haze in his eyes started to clear and he could suddenly make out some of his surroundings again. He tried to move but he quickly realized he was in chains and he was face first on the ground in a very uncomfortable position.

Instinctively, he began fighting the restraints.

"He's coming to," Vanitas grumbled without looking in Ven's direction, and Braig jumped to attention, taking a few apprehensive, cowardly steps away from the Keyblade wielder although he was restrained.

"Ah, we meet again boy," Xehanort greeted, kneeling down in front of Ventus' prostrate form.

"Get away from me!' Ven hissed although he could barely make out Xehanort's features, he knew his voice and knew he was close, too close. If he were capable of shooting Aeroga from his mouth, he would have.

"Calm down, Ventus. Is that any way to greet your old master? We haven't spoken in years and you can't even give me a proper greeting?" Xehanort placed a hand over his heart and feigned genuine hurt.

Ven had no words. All he could muster was a nasty glare.

"I can see you've been growing as a key slinger. You've got the angry look down." Braig folded his arms over his chest as he looked down at him contemptibly.

"Shut up!"

Xehanort sneered. "Now, now, Ventus. Don't go wasting your energy. You are going to need it to make the χ-blade."


	7. Chapter 7

"If nothing turns up in Radiant Garden, it might not hurt to check a few nearby worlds before rendezvousing with the Masters," Terra stated as he followed Aqua out of Yen Sid's tower. She had blazed ahead of him and was gaining so much speed descending the stairs that he had to jog to catch up with her.

Aqua nodded but remained silent. He wasn't even entirely sure if she'd heard him.

She'd been unnaturally quiet since they left Master Yen Sid's quarters. Her mood had apparently taken a nosedive as the reality of their situation sank in yet again. She'd seemed lost in thought and a bit lost in general. Terra could practically feel everything weighing on her and it was affecting him as well. He could practically feel his back bowing over from the weight.

As they'd discussed strategy with Master Yen Sid, Aqua had regained her professional air. She'd turned into the Keyblade Master again, an entity who meant business. She was determined to find Ven but that determination was destroying her because it was so personal. When she was thinking of their plan of action, she was thinking about Ven, and thinking about Ven devastated her mood.

"So…I guess I'll see you in Radiant Garden?" he called after her as she opened the tower doors and searched for a good place to mount her glider.

"Right." She summoned Rainfell, took a deep breath, and paused. "What if he isn't there…? What then?"

"Then we stake them out at the Keyblade Graveyard like we planned. If Xehanort does have Ven, he'll have to return there at some point. Since that's the only place the χ-blade can be forged."

"That place is huge. You could wander that place for days and never stumble upon them. There are so many holes and craters…plenty of places for rats to hide… It would probably be better if we found them  _before_  they went there."

Terra shook his head. "It's either that or start searching world by world. What else can we do? What choice do we have? We're doing all we can."

"It's not enough. Xehanort is having his way with us again. I feel it. I feel exactly the way I did three years ago. He has us right where he wants us and he is just watching us and biding his time…"

Terra folded his arms and looked away, at a loss for words.

"I was in denial about it before. I underestimated him. I blew everything off and played right into his trap…just like you did. We may not be so different after all. The only difference was that he had a purpose for you. The only thing he wanted out of me was my death. I was his sacrificial lamb…except I wasn't being sacrificed for the greater good. He wanted to sacrifice me to destroy you," she continued.

"I won't let him hurt you or Ven," Terra declared, unflinching.

Aqua glanced back at him with sad, defeated eyes that made his heart ache. "How, Terra? You could barely save yourself—"

"Stop it," he scolded, grabbing her arms and spinning her around coarsely so he could look down at her. "I want you to stop. I know you don't trust me anymore. I'm not stupid…a bit gullible maybe but not stupid. I know you've lost faith in me, but I want you to believe me when I tell you that I won't let him hurt either of you."

Aqua shifted uncomfortably under his touch, trying to remove his hold as if him touching her caused her pain. She looked away and chewed on her bottom lip, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

She gave him absolutely no reassurance and that stung. She didn't cave or comfort him as she used to. This was normally the part where she relented and gave him peace of mind but now she couldn't even give him that. She wouldn't lie. She wouldn't give him false hope even if it did make him feel better.

There was a time when she would've defended him to the ends of the World but now…? Now she doubted him instead of trusted him. He'd betrayed her trust. Ven's too except he couldn't see Ven's distrust, but he could practically  _feel_  hers throbbing beneath his palms.

Seeds of doubt had been planted inside of her and he knew she would probably never trust him as she once had. She'd once been a pillar of resolve when it came to him, seeing only the light inside of him and standing by him with utmost confidence but all of that shattered when she learned the truth. It tore him up inside. He hated it and hated himself for causing it.

Now, instead of her faith coming first, doubt came first. She doubted him before she believed him. He'd ruined everything between them. She was different now, worn and weary.

"Let me go, please. We need to get going."

Terra wanted to say  _no_. He wanted to hold onto her until she said she believed him. He wanted to squeeze that old trust she once had in him out of her again.

"Right…" His hands slipped off her shoulders and she walked away from him instantly. "I'll be…right behind you…"

* * *

Radiant Garden was lovely as always, all misty fountains, moss-covered rock walls, cozy cottages, and vibrant flowerbeds. The sky was tinted lavender, a beautiful contrast to the vibrant sea of multicolored flora below as they made their way through the outskirts of the town.

"Where to first?" asked Terra, knowing that Aqua was in one of her  _take-charge_ moods.

"I don't know Lea and Isa all that well. I know what Ven has told me of them. I've met them in passing but I don't know where they live."

"Well, I know even less about them so, it's your call."

Aqua folded her arms and brought one of her fists to her chin in contemplation. "We can ask around a bit, but I believe the square will probably be our best bet. They might pass through at some point today."

"So we're just gonna sit there and wait?" Terra couldn't guise the fact that he wasn't too fond of this plan. He wasn't one for waiting. Unlike Xehanort, he lacked the patience for tedious calculation and planning. Terra was a man of action and as a result, things like sitting and waiting felt like something akin to torture.

Aqua cocked her head at him. "Do you have a better idea?"

He shook his head. "No."

" _Aqua!"_

The voice belonged to a child. Terra recognized that instantly and turned to find the source of the small voice.

There was a flash of red, white, and pink and before he could pin the multicolored blur down, it was attached to Aqua's hip.

It was indeed a little girl. She had short, red hair and was wearing a white sundress with pink and purple trim. She was young, probably not a day over seven or eight.

"Oh," Aqua squeaked as she staggered a bit from the force. She looked alarmed at first, but when she recognized the child latching onto her, she smiled warmly and patted her head. "Hello, Kairi."

"Where have you been? It's been forever!" Kairi declared, looking up at Aqua but still holding her leg firmly.

Apparently, Aqua had some deep connection to this girl, which wasn't that surprising. This girl was bright inside, very bright; bright to the point Terra felt he couldn't look directly at her. The darkness inside him rejected that much light. It was too much but oddly pleasant at the same time. This light was different, something special. It was  _pure_  light.

His stomach rolled.  _A pure heart filled with light…_  It was a concept that had gotten him into trouble multiple times. He couldn't shake the feeling that this girl wasn't safe around him.

_What if I lose control…? No. I'm better now. I've spent the last three years getting better. I won't let it take over._

"Who's he?" Kairi asked eagerly, her blue eyes mating with his.

Instinctively, Terra tensed. He felt like this girl could see _into_  him, like she could see his black deeds, his dark heart, his dark soul…

Following Kairi's gaze, Aqua smiled at him and the tension and unease inside him uncoiled.

_Aqua…_

Aqua tethered him to sanity. Somehow, he knew she wouldn't let him do anything he shouldn't. She could protect him from himself.

"This is Terra," she stated warmly, a hint of affection in her tone that made his chest swell.

Kairi beamed. "The one from your stories? The one you grew up with?"

"Mm," the older girl replied and for a split second, Terra thought he saw her cheeks going rosy.

The redhead simpered. "Is he your boyfriend? Is he the reason you've been away for so long?"

Aqua paled and Terra began coughing as if he was choking on something.

"No. No, but he is my oldest friend," she replied coolly before her eyes focused on him. "Terra, this is Kairi."

The girl beamed again, this time at him, and waved enthusiastically.

"Hi." Terra unfolded his arms and gave a curt wave.

"It's nice to meet you." Kairi quickly looked back at Aqua, tugging on her sash to retrieve her attention. "How long are you staying?"

Aqua knelt down so she could be eye level with her. "Not too long. I'm just here looking for Ven. Have you seen him?"

Kairi frowned and shook her head. "I haven't. I'm sorry… The last time I saw him was when he came here with you."

Aqua nodded, not looking at all surprised by this news. She seemed to be growing more and more accustomed to bad news, specifically bad news regarding Ven. She was likely coming to terms with the fact that Ven was with Xehanort.

"Maybe you can still help me. I'm also looking for two of Ven's friends. They are about my age. Their names are Isa and Lea. Do you know them?"

Kairi blinked a few times as she mulled it over.

"One is tall and skinny? Spikey red hair? Green eyes?" Aqua rambled, desperately grasping at straws.

After thinking for another moment, Kairi reluctantly shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Aqua smiled and placed a hand on her cheek. "Don't apologize. You tried. That's what counts."

Kairi gave a nod as Aqua got back to her feet.

"So, you aren't staying long?"

"Not this time. I'm sorry."

Kairi deflated a little but not much. "But you'll come back soon? When you aren't busy?"

"Of course." Aqua smiled again. It was very obvious to Terra that this girl made her happy.

"And you can bring Terra back with you," she added.

"Well… I suppose… If he wants to come along, that is." Aqua gave him a quick glance.

Terra shrugged. "Fine with me."

Kairi's eyes darted back and forth between Aqua and Terra before her mouth contorted into a suspicious smirk. "Are you  _sure_  he isn't your boyfriend?"

"Yes," Aqua reiterated, her tone exasperated and a touch embarrassed. "Now run along. I'm sure your grandmother is out looking for you."

Kairi sighed, displeased but did as she was told after giving Aqua another quick embrace.

"It was nice meeting you, Terra," Kairi said and before he had a chance to react, she crashed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Terra tensed and held his arms away from her in shock. "Uh, you too…"

Aqua giggled, hiding her amusement behind her hand.

Gathering his courage and his scattered wits, Terra managed to reciprocate by patting the top of her head. The action seemed to placate her and she pulled away almost instantly.

"Bye!" she called and with that, she was off, pausing only so she could turn around and wave again.

A warm, genuine smile blossomed across Aqua's face as she waved as well.

"She's one of them," Terra stated matter-of-factly, his dark eyes following Kairi as she scurried off.

"Hmm?"

"One of the pure hearts Xehanort was looking for."

"I know. She's special. I met her three years ago. I saved her from some Unversed... You know the last time we were all here together…" Aqua shifted from foot to foot and rubbed one of her arms, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

"Right." Terra nodded.

"Ven and I would come back here occasionally and I continued to visit her. I would make sure she was safe, and well, she's kind of grown on me. I just… I feel like it's my job to protect her and after I realized that her heart was pure light, I made it a point to come check on her. We aren't the only ones Xehanort has an eye on, you know?"

"Do you think they're his backup plan? In case Ven and I don't work out?"

Aqua frowned. "I don't know and I'd rather not find out."

* * *

Once they reached the square, Terra and Aqua agreed to split up. Aqua was content with the idea of waiting in the square itself in case Lea or Isa passed through while Terra took a more proactive approach by searching other areas and asking anyone and everyone for leads on their whereabouts.

Terra floated in and out of the square. He was pretty sure he had wandered the entire township at least three times so when he reentered the square for the forth time, he surrendered.

Aqua was sitting beneath one of the small trees surrounding the square, her long legs folded atop the lush green grass. She sat there quietly, clearly trying to enjoy the scenery and the serenity that accompanied the city of light.

"Any luck?" she asked as he leaned against the tree.

"Leave it to Ven to befriend two of the most illusive people in Radiant Garden," he grumbled. "Almost everyone knows them but they don't know where they are."

"They'll turn up eventually. We just have to be patient."

"I know." Terra cast his gaze towards the purple-tinted sky. "I still don't like all the waiting though."

"I agree but we have no control over it. It's just something we have to do… for Ven." Aqua's eyes fell. "But make no mistake, I hate this too."

It grew quiet again, the only sounds resonating around them being the hiss of spewing fountains, the chirping of birds, and the occasional giggle of children.

Terra admired and envied their innocence, their obliviousness. These children didn't have a care in the world. He could barely remember what that even felt like now. It had been so long since he'd felt that kind of joy. It was only a memory, a sweet taste slowly fading on the back of his tongue.

The minutes ticked by and Terra quickly lost track of how long they'd been waiting, but sitting still was already starting to get to him. However, having Aqua nearby did take some of the edge off. Whenever she sensed his unease, she would stop her own personal musings to talk to him and try to lure his mind away whatever dark corner it had wandered into. Her senses were keen and attune to him…so much so it astounded him although he supposed he should be used to it by now. Sometimes she would even sense it before he _felt_  it.

Her bright eyes reflected some of the lavender of the square and her mouth would occasionally curve into a small smile when children dashed through the area or when a stray dog nuzzled her foot, demanding attention that she offered without hesitation.

Amongst her many talents, was the ability to find beauty in negative spaces, not that Radiant Garden was negative space, quite the contrary. What he meant by negative space was the time they spent in limbo between knowing if Ven was safe or if he was with Xehanort.

After a while, it grew quiet again and in that quiet, Terra had time to think and he  _really_  didn't like giving his mind the opportunity to wander. He didn't trust it. It would often go to dreary places if given the change.

Feeling uneasy for the umpteenth time, his hand instinctively slipped into his pocket so he could take hold of his Wayfinder. Perhaps it could ease his mind until he found another distraction.

"You kept it." Aqua smiled.

Terra jerked. Blinking, he muttered, "Huh?"

"Your Wayfinder. You kept it."

"Oh." He looked down at the good luck charm. Holding it had become so habitual at this point that he hadn't even really noticed he had taken it out. "Right…"

"I'm glad."

"Mm. Hey…Aqua…?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think…? Do you think they worked?" Terra ran his thumb along the cool metal of the orange charm.

"The Wayfinders?"

"Mm."

"Sometimes. I suppose we did  _technically_  find our way back to each other. I mean…you and I are together now. You came back home but Ven's not here with us. Maybe my magic is faulty or maybe it can bring Ven back too. Perhaps someday I'll get it right and we can all be together again but that's just wishful thinking. It's strange… I can't convince myself to believe like I use to. I lost the ability to…somewhere along the way…"

"Reality slapped all of us in the face when we left home. The harshness of everything out there tears at even the strongest of hearts. It's only human to react to it but I think you're wrong. I think you still believe. The only difference I see in you now is that you've learned that believing doesn't always work when or sometimes even  _how_  you expect it to. Things can still go wrong even if you do believe."

Aqua stared at him for a long moment with faraway eyes, her mind somewhere else; somewhere distant and he couldn't reach her there. Eventually, she nodded and cast her gaze away again.

He knew he'd played a major part in damaging her ability to believe. He'd let her down and by doing so, damaged her faith. He knew she and Ven both knew of the cruelty out there and how bad things could be. It was disheartening to see but it wasn't the same as experiencing someone you care about disappoint you. It was the ultimate blow to someone's self-esteem, their confidence, their faith in humanity.

Terra remembered lashing out at her that day, on the reactor here in Radiant Garden. He remembered how he felt when she divulged that she'd seen what he had done and that she thought he was too close to the darkness.

At that point, Ven still believed in him. He'd defended him like Aqua used to and Terra couldn't put into words how hard it was to watch her refuse to defend him any longer, to accuse instead of defend. She'd stood there, stone faced and cold, steeled with resolve and stared him down with no sympathy. She didn't even give him a chance to explain. Granted, he didn't try but he knew she wouldn't have understood.

That day, at that moment, he realized she'd lost her faith in him. Yes, she'd apologized. Yes, now, she knew what she'd done. Yes, she would probably take it back if she could but Terra knew that that faith hadn't been restored. That was why that moment had hurt so much. He knew that she would never look at him the same way again. In the back of her mind, she would always doubt him even if she didn't voice or show it.

He had always put so much weight on what she thought of him. To say that he cared what she thought of him would be an understatement and losing her respect was something that still shook him to the core if he thought about it long enough, which brought him back to his original point: he didn't like having time to think.

"Do you?" she asked, her voice penetrating his thoughts.

Terra blinked. "Do I what?"

"Think the Wayfinders worked?"

"I don't know what you wanted them to do but mine always makes me feel better. It's like a ritual. I don't know what I'd do without it. It's helped me through some really tough days but I think the ultimate effect—the one you were hoping for—is still yet to be seen."

Aqua smiled again and it was a genuine smile although he couldn't figure out what it was that he'd said that caused it. However, he did know that the silence around them was suddenly…bearable, which was a relief since they still didn't know how long they'd be here.

* * *

They were losing daylight. The sun was setting, which meant they would probably have to call it a day soon and assume that Isa and Lea wouldn't be found today despite all the searching, asking, and waiting they did.

"A part of me doesn't want them to find them," Aqua admitted, to distract not only herself but the man next to her as well.

Terra's brow creased and he looked over at her is disbelief. "Why?"

"To keep them from telling us that they haven't seen him. A part of me wants to stay here, in this fragile moment where I can still have faith that Ven is safe somewhere. I dread the certainty. I dread knowing that Ven is—"

"It'll be okay," Terra said flatly in a tone that was less than convincing yet comforting. His hand landed on her leg, patting it gently in assurance, his thumb ghosting along the sheer fabric of her black stockings.

Aqua forced herself to look at him and his mouth twitched into a brief smile. Without making the conscious decision to do so, she reached out and placed her hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Time froze, their eyes mating and for a moment, there was nothing else, just the feel of his skin and the dull glow in his eyes and the oh-so-subtle upward curve of his lips.

Briefly, Aqua contemplated breaking the silence but before she had the chance, a flicker of red on the other side of the Central Square caught her attention.

"Lea?" she squeaked as she pried her back off the tree and leaned forward.

"What?" Terra inquired as his eyes tried to follow her gaze. "What is it?"

Gracefully, Aqua leapt from the ledge and sprinted across the square. She was so caught up in reaching the young man that all courtesy and tact left her. In her desperation and urgency, she forgot to answer Terra or even wait on him.

"Lea?" she called again once she was close enough to the boy in question.

He was a bit taller than she remembered and his hair was longer but she was quite sure this was the one she was looking for, and seeing the blue-haired, green-eyed young man next to him only confirmed her suspicions.

Both were a bit more mature than she remembered, their legs a bit longer and their clothes a bit different, but this was the duo.

The redhead's brow rose as he turned to address her. "Yeah?"

His green eyes wandered her form for a moment before something almost audibly clicked inside his head. "Oh, Aqua, right? Ven's friend?"

She gave a nod. "Right. Actually, I'm looking for him. Have you seen him?"

Lea shook his head. "No. I haven't. Why?"

"He's kind of missing. I haven't seen or heard from him in a while and I'm starting to get worried. You know Ven. You know he wouldn't run off without saying anything."

"True," Lea concurred, bobbing his head in subtle agreement.

"Yeah. Running off without saying anything is much more your style," Isa interjected with a playful eye roll.

Lea's eyes narrowed. "Your point?"

"Isa, have you seen Ven?" Aqua politely interrupted before a healthy debate broke out between the two. Normally, she wouldn't mind watching such events unfold but she regretfully had no time to spare.

Isa blinked a few times. "Not recently."

"Oh…" Aqua shrank at least two sizes.

Lea quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whoa. Hey. We'll—We'll keep an eye out for him though! And if we see him, we'll let him know you're looking for him. 'Kay? Just don't frown like that anymore. You're makin' me feel bad…"

She forced a meek smile. "Sorry."

"Ven isn't in any trouble, is he?" Lea inquired, his tone going serious, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I hope not but it isn't looking good." Aqua looked down and away.

"Is…there anything we can do?" Isa asked softly, hesitantly.

She sighed. "Just…keep an eye out for him and if you see him, will you tell him that I'm looking for him and that he needs to come home?"

"Yeah. Sure thing," Lea replied, grinning a bit.

"Thank you," Aqua said lowly as she turned on her heel and made her way back across the square to Terra, her head low and posture screaming of defeat.

Terra's hand was on her shoulder instantly but she couldn't will herself to look up at him.

"What did they say?"

Aqua shook her head. "Nothing. They haven't seen him."

His hand gave her shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze but it did little for her feelings at the moment. It did help a little, however. In fact, she wasn't sure what she would do if Terra weren't with her now. This would feel so much worse if he weren't here.

"What do you want to do now?" he asked courteously.

"I suppose we should go speak with the Masters and inform them of the situation and see if they have heard anything from the King and the others."

"Agreed, but before we leave, there's one more place I want to check."

* * *

A bit reluctantly, Aqua had complied with Terra's wishes and followed him to his unknown destination.

He led her through the city's entryway, past the square and into the vast, spacious outer gardens.

The outer gardens were beautiful, full of flowerbeds not unlike those in the square. One could see the distant mountain ranges surrounding the township and most of the fountains from here. The jagged cobblestone beneath their feet was lavender, pale blue, and pink with a few splotches of green here and there.

There were so many fountains and waterways surrounding this area that the hissing of spurting water was almost all that could be heard. It was deafening.

Terra approached the strange structure in the center of the area and she was suddenly even more suspicious of where he was taking her.

The center structure almost looked like a fountain but not quite. It also looked a bit like a monument but a small pool of water surrounded it, a pool that Terra fearlessly stepped into.

"What are you—?"

Before she could finish her question, Terra was going  _into_ the stone structure. He climbed a few steps that laid beyond the pool of water and into a subtle doorway.

Aqua's eyes narrowed. She started to ask how he knew that was an accessible door but she had a nasty, gnawing feeling she didn't _want_  to know.

They entered a long, rust-colored tunnel that led them into the town's purification facility. It was a huge underground water system full of huge, tawny pipes and lots and lots of water that cascaded down from the ceiling in long, rounded torrents.

In the center of it all was a circular platform, which was where she assumed they were headed.

The stairwells led down and down and the closer they got to the platform, the more she began to smell something faint, familiar…and foul. She began picking up on it the moment they entered but the further they descended down into the chamber, the stronger the grim scent became.

All at once, it hit her. She knew the smell and she knew it well but it had been clouded, disguised, and diluted by the abundance of water around them but once it hit her, she was overcome by it.

_Darkness…_

Aqua's hand covered her nose and mouth. "They were here…"

"You sense it too?"

"I… _smell_  it…"

That was the difference between them. Terra sensed the power in this lingering darkness where Aqua sensed the danger, the odor.

They reached the end of the line, the circular platform, but nothing was there besides the smell.

Frantic for answers, Aqua's eyes began wandering the space. There were dents in the metal flooring as well as the railing that surrounded it. There were lacerations too, like someone had raked a sword (or Keyblade) along it or stabbed one into it. Some kind of struggle had taken place here.

Realization hit hard, causing Aqua fell to her knees. "We're too late…"

Ven had been here. Xehanort had been here and Vanitas had been here too. She sensed each of them but they were gone now. If they had only come a little sooner… His blood was still on the ground. They had been so close… They could have saved him if they only-

"They haven't been gone long," Terra's voice resonated clearly, forcing her out of her spiraling thoughts. "Maybe we can—"

Aqua shook her head. "They knew we were coming."

"Maybe they went to the Keyblade Graveyard. Maybe they left to try to forge the χ-blade."

She looked down at the blood splattered on the metal ground around them.

"No. He's training him…"

Terra's brow knitted with confusion. "Huh?"

"Ven and Vanitas have to be of equal power to forge the χ-blade. That was why he tried to lead Ven away from home last time, so he could fight the Unversed and become stronger. I bet he was doing something similar here. Vanitas must still be stronger than him." Aqua wrapped her arms around herself to repress the pain that racked her body.

Terra knelt in front of her. "It's gonna be okay. We'll find him and we'll find him before Xehanort can take him to the Keyblade Graveyard, just like we planned. Okay? If you're right, then Ven isn't ready and Xehanort can't make the Keyblade yet. He probably just relocated. We still have time. We can—"

"I want to leave…" Aqua looked like she might cry. "I can't stay here…where they've…where he…"

Terra nodded. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care as long as it isn't here."


End file.
